Lazio Midfielder Belahyane Chooses Morocco Over France for International Career

Reda Belahyane was born on June 1, 2004 in Aubervilliers, France, into a Moroccan family. After winning the Mediterranean Games with the French under-18 national football team, which beat Italy (1-0), he chose two years later to play for Morocco, the country of origin of his parents. Afterwards, rumors surfaced of a conflict between Morocco and France over the player’s choice of sporting nationality. "There was no competition from the French, because since I was very young, I knew I would play for Morocco. I wanted to honor my family, my parents are Moroccan and I have always wanted to play for Morocco," assured the young Lazio prodigy in a press conference.

Belahyane is a fairly technical and creative player, aggressive and ready to recover the ball. The Paris native started at INF Clairefontaine before joining Nice in the summer of 2019. He signed his first professional contract with Nice in June 2021 at the age of 17. In January 2024, he joined the Hellas Verona squad in Serie A for four seasons for an amount of 500,000 euros. He is currently pursuing his football career in Italy. On Monday, the Italian club Lazio confirmed having recruited him on loan with a purchase obligation of 13 million euros at the end of the season.

Seduced by his talent, Walid Regragui, coach of the Moroccan national team, called him up in October 2024, where he made his debut in a qualifying match for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN Morocco 2025) against the Central African Republic. Despite his talent, he knows he still has a lot to learn. "Being a young player means that I have to improve in many areas, including heading, as well as in my physical condition to become an international midfielder." He intends to follow in the footsteps of the French defensive midfielder he admires so much. "He is a humble player, who works hard, who recovers a lot of balls and who is not afraid of interventions," he said.