Morocco knew exactly how much talent they had in front of them and spent years trying to convince the FC Barcelona player to represent the Atlas Lions. It was not simply a last-minute phone call. There were conversations with the player, approaches to his family and a sporting project designed to show him what it could mean to become one of the biggest stars of the African national team.
Lamine Yamal Could Have Played for Morocco: Here’s How They Tried to Convince Him
Before becoming a world champion with Spain, Lamine Yamal found himself at the center of a battle that took place away from the stadiums.
Walid Regragui, the former Morocco head coach, has since revealed just how far those efforts went.
And they were much more serious than many imagined.
Morocco Had Been Following Lamine Yamal for Years
The interest began when Lamine Yamal was still a promising youngster at La Masia.
Morocco knew perfectly well that the winger was eligible to represent the country because of his family roots. Born in Spain, his father, Mounir Nasraoui, is of Moroccan origin, meaning there was a genuine possibility that he could one day wear the Atlas Lions jersey.
That is why the federation decided to make its move before it was too late.
Regragui became personally involved and held conversations with the player and those close to him. During one of those meetings, he sat down with Lamine and his grandfather after the youngster had started to establish himself at FC Barcelona.
The objective was not simply to convince him through emotion.
There was a sporting plan.
Morocco presented him with the possibility of having an important role within the national team and becoming part of a project looking toward the Africa Cup of Nations and, especially, the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which the country will co-host.
The idea was simple: make him understand that he could become one of the faces of a historic generation of Moroccan soccer.
Lamine’s Family Also Learned About the Project
The approach was not limited to conversations between the coach and the player.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, confirmed in an interview with MARCA that meetings were held with Lamine Yamal’s parents to personally explain the project.
“We met with his parents. We presented our project to him and his family, but Lamine was already convinced that he wanted to play for Spain,” Lekjaa explained.
That was the biggest problem for Morocco.
They could offer him a prominent role, an ambitious project and the possibility of becoming a historic figure for the Atlas Lions, but Lamine had spent years developing within Spain’s system.
He had progressed through the country’s youth teams, and his sporting connection with La Roja had already been established.
One Phone Call Ended Morocco’s Hopes
Regragui still made one final effort.
The coach personally presented Lamine Yamal with the path he could follow with Morocco. According to his account, he even spoke to him about the possibility of making history with the national team.
But the decision did not take long.
After discussing it with his family, Lamine called the coach.
“He called me and said: ‘Coach, I’m going to play for Spain. I was born here and I’ve played for the youth teams,’” Regragui recalled.
The coach understood the decision and appreciated the player’s honesty.
There was still room for one final attempt. Regragui made it clear that Lamine had his phone number in case he changed his mind.
That call never came.
On September 1, 2023, Lamine Yamal received his first call-up to the senior Spain national team.
One week later, he made his debut against Georgia and scored in a 7-1 victory, emerging as one of international soccer’s brightest young talents at just 16 years old.
What followed made that decision even more significant.
Lamine won UEFA Euro 2024 and later became one of the biggest stars of the Spain team that lifted the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Morocco did everything in their power.
There was scouting, meetings, conversations with his family and a project designed to make him one of the faces of the Atlas Lions.
But there was one thing no proposal could change.
When the time came to choose, Lamine Yamal already knew which jersey he wanted to represent.
Spain.
