“The decision comes from the heart.” Dual nationals are Morocco’s strength, and Lamine Jamal is an exception

Not long ago, dual nationals were counted on the fingers of the Moroccan national football team, but today they have become the vast majority and the strength of the “Atlas Lions” in various age groups.

Attracting the best dual-national talent was previously seen as an alternative option in the Kingdom, and because of this, the national team omitted many players who chose countries of birth, including but not limited to Khaled Boulahrouz and Ibrahim Afellay (Netherlands), Nacer Chadli, Marouane Fellaini (Belgium), and Adil Rami (France).
But today it has become a major sporting project on which Moroccan officials focus greatly, with the aim of competing with the largest nations in world football in the battle for talent.

“real project”
International striker Ryan Maye, who, along with his brother Sami, chose Morocco in 2018, says: “We could have played for Cameroon and Belgium as well. When I was called up, I saw that Morocco was making great efforts to put the players in the best conditions. Everything was well thought out, a real project. This is what attracted me, as well as being close to my (Moroccan) mother.”
Mayi, who was crowned champion and top scorer in the Cyprus League with Omonia Nicosia (25 goals), adds, “It was a fairly easy choice, and for my brother (Sami) it was the same. We were very happy and proud to carry the Moroccan shirt and choose to play for it. After that, what the team also achieved now attracts many players.”
Morocco has developed a clear strategy to implement this project, relying on a network of scouts across Europe to take advantage of talent at an early age, relying on the Moroccan communities having a strong passion for the country and the players’ parents and families intervening to convince them to represent the Atlas Lions.
Technical Director of the Moroccan Federation, Fathi Jamal, says, “Since 2021, we have been engaged in a performance dynamic led by a clear strategic vision. We have a hybrid and intelligent model. Some players graduated from local training through national academies and club training centers, while others were discovered in Europe, thanks to a specialized cell that follows up on young talents with dual nationality.”
For his part, the new coach, Mohamed Wehbe, confirmed to the Belgian Radio and Television Corporation: “The Federation works with regulations for players with dual citizenship, whose files are subject to reports by our scouts. When the report is positive, the first contact is made to find out whether the player has made his choice. We do not suggest anything. No money, nothing.”
Wehbe, who led the Moroccan national team to the U-20 World Cup title last year in Chile, continued, “What I do, when it is my team’s job, is to go to the place to talk to the families and present a sports project in the short, medium and long term.”
The absence from the World Cup since 1998 was one of the reasons that prompted Morocco to direct the compass to its talents, which the Old Continent is full of and to defend the colors of its biggest clubs, most notably Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi, Nassir Mazraoui, Ibrahim Dias, Nile El Aynaoui, and all the way to Ayoub Bouadi, the last players to choose the Atlas Lions at the expense of France.

Coming from the heart
Hakimi was the biggest gift. He is one of the best players in the world and represents a dream for young people of Moroccan origins born in Europe.
The French second captain of Paris Saint-Germain commented, “It was a choice that came from the heart. I went and tried to go through the experience (with Spain), but I did not feel comfortable. The decision to represent a country must be made from the beginning, and you must feel comfortable in it, whether on a personal or family level.”
The situation was no different for former Ajax Amsterdam Dutch winger Ziyech, who said: “Choosing the national team is not done with the mind but with the heart. In my case it was Morocco without any hesitation. I have always felt Moroccan even though I was born here (in the Netherlands). Many will never understand this feeling.”
Thanks to Morocco’s investments in infrastructure and training, players are aware of the country’s record in recent years: fourth in the 2022 World Cup, U-23 African Nations champion in 2023, 2024 Olympic Games bronze, U-20 African Nations runner-up, U-20 World Cup champion in 2025, and African Nations champion early this year.
Bouaddi said: “Now I have made my choice, I feel comfortable, I am very proud and happy to return to my country, Morocco, and I hope that we will achieve great achievements in the upcoming elections.”

Lamin Jamal is an exception
The influx of dual nationals to Morocco was met with criticism from their countries of birth, especially Belgium and the Netherlands, which are full of talents of Moroccan origin and who chose the country of their ancestors.
Former Netherlands star Rafael van der Vaart confirmed that “those who are not good enough in the Netherlands go to play with Morocco,” while Belgian coach for the age groups, Vincent Mannaert, said: “They were born here and received their education in Belgium, where the clubs invested a lot of time and energy. If at some point they are not able to choose Belgium, that is their right, but we will continue to work with the players who want to.”
On the other hand, many players choose the opposite path, i.e. representing the country of residence in which their parents grew up, and Barcelona’s Spanish winger Lamine Jamal is one of them.
Former Moroccan coach Walid Regragui said that he did everything in his power to convince him to represent the country of his father’s origins, but in the end he chose Spain.
He added, “We talked to him, his family, and his lawyer. We talked about the project we have, about the African Cup of Nations in our country, about the 2030 World Cup, and about the love that the country has for Al-Amin. But the boy never lied. He did not play the game (Am I Moroccan or Spanish)… He decided to play with Spain.”