Moroccan Player Poised to Make World Cup History as First to Wear Hijab

If Nouhaila Benzina plays the match against Korea tomorrow, she will be the first footballer in history to play with a hijab. FIFA had previously banned the wearing of the veil during competitions, considering that it could affect the health of the players, recalls Marca. "I have been wearing the hijab for years and I am very comfortable with it," she said in an interview with Al Jazeera, before the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Nouhaila Benzina has always worn the hijab in her various clubs and at each training session with the Moroccan national team. By allowing Muslim players to wear the veil, a visible sign of their religion, FIFA is opening a new era in women’s football. The organization made this decision public, and in different languages, a few days before the start of the World Cup.