Rabat – FIFA salutes the evolution of the Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, hailing him as the “Moroccan wonder” ahead of Morocco’s match with France at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for Thursday, July 9, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 on Saturday, July 4, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, with Ounahi scoring twice to become the third Moroccan player to register a brace at a FIFA World Cup, joining national icons Abderrazak Khairi and Salaheddine Bassir.
FIFA recalls Ounahi’s exceptional performance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when Morocco surprised the world and reached the semifinals.
The midfield maestro also caught Spain’s coach, Luis Enrique, off guard after Spain’s elimination by Morocco in the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup. “I was pleasantly surprised by their number 8,” he said at a press conference.
Under the tutelage of Mohammed Ouahbi, Ounahi plays in more advanced roles rather than the deep-lying midfield berth. He led the victory of Morocco against Canada, making a whole nation proud. “It wasn’t easy for us; they are a team that caused us a lot of problems in the first half,” Ounahi said.
