Wail M'hiya, the 17-year-old Moroccan-born midfielder, has chosen to represent Germany over Morocco. The decision came after he received his first senior call-up from Germany coach Jürgen Klopp for the Nations League matches against Serbia and the Netherlands last September.
M'hiya, who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, is the youngest player ever to score for the club. His goal against Bayern Munich also placed him on the list of the Bundesliga's youngest scorers. Klopp said of the call-up: "There are very few players at 17 playing in the Bundesliga, and that alone is exceptional, but he is also performing very well."
Decisive talks with Klopp
The German manager revealed he held three conversations with the player and his family before the decision. Klopp added: "I wasn't that confident in myself at seventeen, but I wasn't as good at football at that age either." The final 24-player squad listed M'hiya in the midfield section alongside names like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Pavlovic.
This case is not an isolated one. Former Morocco coach Walid Regragui tried to convince Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, of Moroccan descent, to represent the Atlas Lions, but he chose Spain. Real Madrid youth players Teji Betariach and Rachid Fatallah also opted for Spain. Fatallah had previously played for Morocco's U20 side before rejecting a call-up for the 2025 Youth World Cup.
A history of losses
The trend of losing dual-national talents spans decades, with Moroccan-origin players like Adil Rami, Ibrahim Afellay, Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli previously choosing European national teams. M'hiya's decision comes as the Moroccan national team prepares to face Niger at home on November 11th in World Cup qualifying. The team's most recent result was a 1-1 draw with Mali on October 4th, where Abde Ezzalzouli scored a 35th-minute penalty.
The Moroccan side remains unbeaten in its last outing, but the competition for young dual-national talents presents an ongoing challenge for the team's management. The upcoming match against Niger will be a new test for the squad's depth amid these recurring losses of promising talent.
The original report is at 365Scores
