Morocco national team coach Walid Regragui revealed that he had been in contact with Barcelona star Lamine Yamal to try to convince him to represent the Atlas Lions, but the player ultimately chose Spain.
Yamal is of Moroccan descent on his father’s side, and after his impressive performances with Barcelona, Regragui tried to recruit him for the Moroccan national team, before the 17-year-old settled on representing La Roja.
Regragui said about that period, “Lamine Yamal is an exceptional star. We tried to recruit him for the Moroccan national team, but it wasn’t possible.”
He added, “I had several conversations with him, and he was very frank with me. I presented him with the Moroccan national team project, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup.”
He concluded, “He told me that he feels Spanish and that he has represented Spain since he was in the youth teams. I wished him well, because he has been honest and loyal to me the whole time.”
Yamal has played 19 international matches for the Spanish national team so far, scoring four goals, and was a key factor in Spain’s Euro 2024 title in Germany.
