A football cold war has begun between Morocco and Spain over FC Barcelona’s young forward Lamine Yamal, 16, to bring him to their national teams, according to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo.
Yamal, who represented Spain in the most recent UEFA European U-17 Championship 2023, might be on the verge of a breakthrough. In the tournament, he helped the Spanish under-17s reach the semi-finals and scored four goals in five appearances.
The Spanish daily, confident in his skills, noted that his contribution to Barcelona over the last few months has particularly appealed to the Coach Xavi. His debut – as the youngest-ever starter for Barcelona in La Liga – was on the August 20th game against Cadiz where he was met by a standing ovation from fans as he was subbed off the field with only five minutes left in the game.
As a result of his performance this season, there are multiple rumors that Yamal might be called up for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Cyprus in the next few days.
Rabie Takassa, a Moroccan federation scout, told the Mundo Deportivo that Yamal has three nationalities (Moroccan, Equatorial Guinean, and Spanish) so he can choose any of the three teams and play where he feels most comfortable.
In September 2020, FIFA approved a rule change that allows players to switch national teams if they have played no more than three competitive matches at senior level prior to them turning 21, including no appearances in FIFA World Cup finals matches or continental finals.