The President of the Moroccan Football Federation declared his desire to meet Spain in the 2026 World Cup final to verify whether Lamine Yamal chose the right national team or not.
Lamine Yamal has never worn the Moroccan national team shirt, but the story of the Barcelona star’s national team choice remains a hot topic in the North African country.
In an interview with Aljazeera360, the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, once again mentioned the player born in 2007. Despite affirming his respect for Yamal’s decision, the official did not hide his ambition to face Spain at the 2026 World Cup. “Now, I hope Morocco will meet Spain in the World Cup final to see if he really made the right decision,” Mr. Lekjaa stated.
Yamal was born in Spain, has a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother. Therefore, he is eligible to play for multiple national teams. Before the young star chose Spain, the Moroccan Football Federation made many efforts to persuade him to change his mind.
According to Mr. Lekjaa’s revelation, meetings took place in both Europe and North Africa. However, Yamal determined his future with the Spanish national team early on.
In an interview with Marca in 2024, the head of Moroccan football said they had directly met with the player’s family to present the national team’s development project. Nevertheless, Yamal remained firm with his choice to play for “La Roja”.
Besides Yamal’s story, Mr. Lekjaa also emphasized the strong development of Moroccan football in recent years. The national team’s success in major tournaments along with a modern training system helps Morocco become an attractive destination for many players of Moroccan descent born in Europe.
One of the typical cases is Brahim Diaz. The Real Madrid midfielder decided to play for Morocco instead of continuing to wait for an opportunity with the Spanish national team.
The 2026 World Cup has just begun, but Mr. Lekjaa’s statement shows that Morocco has not completely forgotten about missing out on one of the brightest talents in world football today. If Spain and Morocco actually meet in the latter stages of the tournament, Yamal will certainly become the center of all attention.
