Rabat – Egyptian Football Association President Hany Abo Rida has attributed part of Morocco’s recent football progress to the large number of Moroccan players competing professionally outside the country.
Speaking during an interview with Egyptian television channel Al Nahar, Abo Rida said Morocco could draw from a pool of more than 200 players based at clubs around the world.
“Almost all of Morocco’s players compete at very high levels,” he said. “They have more than 200 professional players around the world, which gives them an extremely strong base.”
Abo Rida made the remarks while discussing the performances of Arab and North African teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He said colleagues from other Maghreb countries shared similar observations about Morocco’s player pool and its importance to the national team.
Abo Rida currently serves as president of the Egyptian Football Association and is also a member of the FIFA Council.
Morocco combine diaspora recruitment with local development
Players developed in European academies have played an important role in Morocco’s recent national teams.
The Moroccan federation has successfully recruited several dual-national footballers who were born or trained abroad but remained eligible to represent the country through their family backgrounds.
However, Morocco’s rise has not relied exclusively on overseas development.
The country has also invested heavily in its domestic training system, particularly through the Mohammed VI Football Academy. Players including Nayef Aguerd, Azzedine Ounahi, Oussama Targhalline, Youssef En-Nesyri and Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal emerged from the academy before establishing themselves at senior level.
FIFA has similarly described Morocco’s football-development model as being based on facilities, talent identification and qualified technical personnel.
The combination of locally trained players and members of the Moroccan diaspora has given successive coaches access to a broader and more competitive selection pool.
That depth was again visible at the 2026 World Cup, where Morocco reached the quarter-finals for the second consecutive edition.
The Atlas Lions became the first African country to reach the last eight of the men’s tournament more than once after defeating Canada 3-0 in the round of 16.
Morocco’s run ended with a 2-0 quarter-final defeat against France, but the campaign provided further evidence that the historic semi-final appearance at Qatar 2022 was not an isolated achievement.
