Haddadi Dreams of Playing for Morocco in 2018 World CupHaddadi Dreams of Playing for Morocco in 2018 World Cup

Moroccan Spanish footballer Munir Haddadi has said his dream is to play for Morocco in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Russia in 2018.

Speaking to Spanish Radio Onda Cero on Wednesday, the Madrid player said the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) contacted him and told that he still has the option to play for Morocco.

The Alaves striker said that he has authorized the federation to contact FIFA on his behalf.  

“I was very happy, and I like the idea very much. We’ve been in contact and I gave them authorization for them to begin the process,” Haddadi said.

“They told me that they are going to do all they can for me to be with them.”

Haddadi expressed his wishes to play for the Moroccan national team last summer. So far, his and the federation’s efforts to help him switch teams face a major obstacle in the FIFA regulations regarding binational players.

According to article 15 of FIFA regulations, “any player who has already participated in a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or any type of football for one association may not play an international match for a representative team of another association.”

However, the current dynamics in FIFA with the presence of a new management at its helm might play in favor of Haddadi and Morocco. In late October, BBC Sport reported that the football’s governing body is considering amending its rules to allow players who have played for a senior national team to switch to another.

“There are nationality issues that pop up all over the world – in Africa, and there are issues in Asia and Concacaf,” Victor Montagliani, the head of FIFA’s stakeholders’ committee, told the British outlet.

“So it’s a good time to have a look at this and see if there are solutions without hurting the integrity of the game.”