The semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar 2022 between France y Morocco they have a strong social component, due to the connection of immigration between countries and, by extension, between continents. The French team is made up mostly of players with African roots, while half of the Moroccan team was born in Europe.
Most of the players in the French team have blood ties to Africa, retain the dual nationality inherited from their parents or were directly born there. Eduardo Camavinga, Real Madrid player, was born in Angola to parents from the Republic of the Congo, refugees there until they were able to emigrate to France. substitute goalkeeper Steve Mandada he was also born far from France, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, like his parents. The parents of the French defender are also from the Central African country Axel Disasi and the striker Randal Colorand those of Christopher Nkunkuruled out before the World Cup.
Of African father and mother they are also Youssouf Fofana (Small), Ibrahima Konate (Small), Dayot Upamecano (Guinea-Bissau), the madridista Aurelien Tchouameni (Cameroon), the Barcelona player Ousmane Dembele (father from Mali and mother from Senegal and Mauritania) and world star Kylian Mbappe (father from Cameroon and mother from Algeria).
The gold ball Karim Benzema, who left the concentration due to injury before the start of the World Cup, is of an Algerian father and an Algerian mother born in France. Barcelona defender Jules Kounde He is from a Benin father and a French mother. The mother of William Saliba He is from Cameroon and his father is Lebanese of French origin. The father of Matteo Guendouzi He is from Morocco and his mother is French. Guendouzi was tempted by Morocco, but, unlike his other compatriots, he preferred to represent the country of his birth, France.
Africa is not the only continent with blood ties to the players of the French national team. The goalkeeper’s parents are from the Philippines Alphonse Areola. Born in America, specifically from the French overseas territory on the island of Guadeloupe, they are the parents of Kingsley Coman and of Marcus Thuram. Marcus is the son of Liliam Thuram, world champion in France 98, and was born in Parma (Italy), where his father played. The father of Raphael Varane He is from the island of Martinique.
The maternal grandfather of Antoine Griezmann He is from Portugal, and the goalkeeper’s grandfather Hugo Lloris it is Spanish. He also has Spanish origins, the father of the Hernández brothers, Lucas y Theo, the former soccer player Jean-François Hernández, who played for Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano among others. Lucas and Theo Hernández were formed in the Atlético youth system.
Only four French players do not have direct ancestors in other countries: Benjamin Pavard, Adrien Rabiot, Jordan Veretout and Olivier Giroud.
European Moroccans
Morocco’s starting players
The Moroccan team, for its part, is full of footballers born in Europe. Second-generation immigrants with dual nationality, they have chosen to represent their parents’ country of origin. They are players raised in Europe and trained in their soccer academies.
The star of the team Achrafi Hakimi, is a man from Madrid trained in the Real Madrid youth academy. Also born in Spain is Munir El Kajoui, from Melilla, substitute goalkeeper for the Moroccan team. the osasunista Ez Abde He was born in Morocco, but came to Elche when he was barely seven years old, and has dual Spanish-Moroccan nationality.
Belgium and the Netherlands are the countries that contribute the most players to the Moroccan team, with four each. from Belgium are Ilias Chair, Salim Amallah, Bilal El Khannouss y Anass Zaroury. They are from the Netherlands Noussair Mazraoui, Sofyan Amrabat, Judge Ziyech y Zakira Aboukhlal.
Born in France they are the defender Roman Sais and the striker Sofiane Boufal. A native of Italy, he is the striker. Walid Cheddira. Abdelhamid Sabiri he was born in Morocco, but grew up in Germany, and has dual citizenship; she even got to wear the ‘mannschaft’ in the lower categories, including the sub-21. The starting goalkeeper, Sevilla’s Yassine Bounou’Bono‘, Born in Canada.
Tan solo ocho de los 26 jugadores han nacido y se han criado en Marruecos: Nayef Aguerd, Achraf Dari, Jawad El Yamiq, Barr Benoun, Yahia Attiyat Allah, Yahya Jabrane, Azzedine Anahi, Youssef En-Nesyri and Abderrazak Hamdallah.
