Moroccan World Cup Call-Up Sparks Surge in Anass Zaroury’s Instagram Following

The 22-year-old midfielder, who plays for Burnley, was called up on Thursday by the national coach, to replace the Marseille player Amine Harit, who was ruled out due to a serious injury.

Shortly after the announcement, the Instagram account of the Burnley (England) midfielder exploded. It went from 126,000 to 159,000 followers, or more than 30,000 in less than 24 hours. These figures show that Zaroury’s selection had an incredible impact on social media.

Former Belgian youth international, Zaroury played in the youth categories of Belgium, his country of birth. Holding both Belgian and Moroccan nationalities, the player had the choice between the two selections. He finally opted for Morocco.

"I am very happy and honored to be able to defend the colors of Morocco during the best competition in the world. I would like to thank my loved ones, my family and the Moroccan supporters for their immense support. Not forgetting the coach for his trust and for giving me the opportunity to realize a childhood dream," he wrote.