List of Morocco football players in foreign leagues

This is a complete List of Moroccan football players in foreign leagues, i.e. association football players who have played in foreign leagues.

The history of Moroccan players in Europe

A large number of Moroccan players played in Europe, especially in France, Belgium and the Netherlands due to the presence of a large Moroccan community there, In the 1950s, there was a Moroccan player who impressed in Europe, especially with Atlético Madrid, who was Larbi Benbarek even though he was playing with the France national team because Morocco was under French protection, Benbarek won La Liga title twice in 1949–50 and 1950–51. In the fifties and beginning of the sixties another Moroccan star appeared Hassan Akesbi, is considered the best Moroccan scorer in European Leagues with 173 goals and the first Moroccan to win a title in Europe when Akesbi won Ligue 1 title with Reims in 1962.

In terms of titles, a large number of Moroccan players achieved titles most of them Badr El Kaddouri with 14 titles five Leagues, four cups and five Super Cup, followed by Sofian Benzouien with 10 titles, all in Luxembourg with F91 Dudelange with seven Leagues more than any other Moroccan player and three cups. Then comes Younès Belhanda with 9 titles five Leagues, three cups and one Super Cup. In terms of the five major Leagues Medhi Benatia won the Bundesliga twice with Bayern Munich and Serie A twice with Juventus More than any other Moroccan player, As for the other players who achieved the league titles in the top 5 leagues in Europe, Salaheddine Bassir and Noureddine Naybet won La Liga in 1999–2000 with Deportivo La Coruña and Ligue 1 six times was won by Hassan Akesbi, Marouane Chamakh and three players in 2011–12 they are Abdelhamid El Kaoutari, Karim Aït-Fana, Younès Belhanda with Montpellier, and the last winner was Nabil Dirar in 2016–17.

At the level of individual titles Mbark Boussoufa won the award for best player in Belgium three times, The first with Gent as for the second and third with Anderlecht, in the Netherlands, the Moroccan players won the award for the best player three times through Mounir El Hamdaoui, Karim El Ahmadi and Hakim Ziyech. as for the level scorers There are five players who have won the top scorer El Hamdaoui is the first Moroccan to achieve the top scorer award in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar season 2008–09. As for more who won the top scorer award, he is Omar Er Rafik twice in Luxembourg with FC Differdange 03. as for more than play games just in the leagues there Karim El Ahmadi with 376 games, Abdelkrim Merry 337 games, Marouane Chamakh 333 games, Noureddine Naybet 329 games and finally Mbark Boussoufa 322 games. on the other hand more than hat-tricks record is Samir Hadji 8 all hat-tricks with Fola Esch then Omar Er Rafik by 7 and finally Hassan Akesbi by 6 hat-tricks. At the level of countries have made Moroccan players 29 titles in the Netherlands, which are thirteen Eredivisie, ten KNVB Cup and six Johan Cruijff-schaal after that Luxembourg twenty one title, fourteen League and seven cups and finally Portugal nineteen titles, eight Primeira Liga, one Taça de Portugal, Taça da Liga and five Supertaça. Other countries where the Moroccan players at least won one title is the 17th state in the following figure Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, Ukraine, Spain, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, Russia and Turkey.

Gallery

Moroccan descent players played for other national teams

Khalid Boulahrouz was born in Maassluis, Netherlands to a family of Moroccan descent. He has eight siblings. As a youngster he went to the youth academies of Ajax and Haarlem. When he was sixteen his father died and he had to take responsibility for his family. Ibrahim Afellay is of Moroccan Riffian descent; his parents left their hometown Al Hoceima in the 1960s to work in the Netherlands. He grew up in Overvecht, a neighbourhood in Utrecht with a large immigrant population. Afellay and his brother, Ali, were brought up by their mother, Habiba, after his father died when he was young., his family are Moroccan Dutch. After both the Moroccan and the Netherlands national teams managers selected him for their squads, he was caught in the dilemma to either play for the Moroccan national team, because of his Moroccan descent, or to play for the Dutch team, the Netherlands being his place of birth and residence. He ultimately decided to play for the Netherlands national team despite the heavy competition for places in midfield. Adil Rami was born in the city of Bastia on the island of Corsica to Moroccan parents. As a youth, his family moved to the mainland, eventually settling in the southern coast city of Fréjus, where his mother worked as a member of the city council. Rami is the third of four children and has two sisters and one brother., Rami is a French international, having made his debut on 11 August 2010 in a friendly match against Norway. Prior to representing France, he drew interest from the Moroccan national team. Ahead of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Rami was offered a chance to play with Morocco at the competition by manager Henri Michel. However, Rami declined the offer, citing his ambition to play for France. He has stated on several occasions that he would prefer to "represent Morocco within the France team".

European League

Albania Mohamed Chibi Mohamed Chibi

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Bulgaria

PlayerClub(s)Period Chakib Benzoukane Levski Sofia 2007–10 Mehdi Bourabia Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Cherno More, Levski Sofia 2015, 2015, 2016–17 Yassine El Kharroubi Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2015–17 Rayan Frikeche Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2017 Ilias Haddad CSKA Sofia 2012 Mourad Hdiouad Litex Lovech, CSKA Sofia 2001–05, 2005–06 Abderrahman Kabous CSKA Sofia 2007–08 Abdelkarim Kissi Litex Lovech, Beroe 2004–05, 2007 Youssef Rabeh Levski Sofia 2007–10 Rachid Tiberkanine Levski Sofia 2008–09

Czech Republic

Croatia

PlayerClub(s)Period Oussama Zamouri Inter Zaprešić 2019–

Cyprus

PlayerClub(s)PeriodSamir Bengelloun APOP Kinyras Peyias FC 2008–10Tarik Bengelloun Enosis Neon Paralimni FC 2011Chakib Benzoukane Apollon Limassol 2012Mohammed Chaouch APOEL FC 1999–2000Karim Fegrouche AEL Limassol 2013–15Rachid Hamdani Apollon Limassol 2011–15Abdelkarim Kissi Enosis Neon Paralimni, Apollon Limassol, AEK Larnaca, Ermis Aradippou, Ethnikos Achna 2007–08, 2008, 2009, 2009–10, 2010–12Ryan Mmaee AEL Limassol 2019–Khalid Sinouh AC Omonia 2005–06Hamid Rhanem Ayia Napa FC, Enosis Neon Paralimni FC, AEK Larnaca FC, APOP Kinyras Peyias FC 2007, 2007, 2008, 2009Jaouad Zairi Anorthosis Famagusta FC 2012

Denmark

PlayerClub(s)Period Bouabid Bouden Odense BK 2005–06 Karim Zaza FCK, Odense BK, Brøndby IF, AaB 1995–2000, 2000–03, 2003–06, 2007–10

England

PlayerClub(s)Period Nordin Amrabat Watford 2015–18 Oussama Assaidi Liverpool, Stoke City 2012–15 Sofiane Boufal Southampton 2016–18, 2019–2020 Marouane Chamakh Arsenal, West Ham United, Crystal Palace 2010–16 Youssef Chippo Coventry City 1999–2001 Manuel da Costa West Ham United 2009–11 Karim El Ahmadi Aston Villa 2012–14 Talal El Karkouri Sunderland, Charlton Athletic 2002–03, 2004–07 Tahar El Khalej Southampton, Charlton Athletic 1999–2003 Nabil El Zhar Liverpool 2006–07 & 2008–10 Mustapha Hadji Coventry City, Aston Villa 1999–2004 Hassan Kachloul Southampton, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1998–2002, 2003–04 Noureddine Naybet Tottenham Hotspur 2004–06 Abdeslam Ouaddou Fulham 2001–03 Youssef Safri Norwich City 2004–05 Romain Saïss Wolverhampton Wanderers 2018–2022 Adel Taarabt Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, Fulham 2006–09, 2011–15

Finland

PlayerClub(s)Period Nassim Boujellab HJK Helsinki 2022

France