Spain wants to avoid another Lamine Yamal case with this Moroccan Barça gem

The Spanish press is beginning to present Mayssa Baha as a potential new case contested by the two federations. Infobae describes her as the “new Lamine Yamal” whom Spain and Morocco could compete for.

Born in Malaga on 16 January 2011, the young attacker began at Málaga CF’s academy before joining Barça at 13. Last season, she scored 39 goals with the youth teams and Barça C, which enabled her to complete the entire preseason with the first team.

Her rise accelerated on 12 August during a friendly match against Montpellier. Coming on at the hour mark, she scored Barcelona’s third goal in the victory. FC Barcelona then highlighted that the 15-year-old had been used as a centre-forward.

On Bladi.net : Barcelona Signs 13-Year-Old Moroccan Prodigy Mayssa Baha from Málaga

Mayssa Baha subsequently made her official Liga F debut. She notably came on during the first matchday against Tenerife, and then against Atlético de Madrid. Her presence in the first team’s rotation now places her international future under much greater scrutiny.

Morocco has a considerable advantage

The situation is nevertheless very different from that of Lamine Yamal, who chose to represent Spain. Mayssa Baha has already spent several years with the Moroccan youth teams and appears firmly established in the project of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.

She was only 12 when she received her first call-up to the U17 Lionesses. During the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup held in Morocco, she made her mark by scoring the first two goals in Morocco’s victory over Costa Rica. Aged 14, she was then the youngest player taking part in the competition.

On Bladi.net : Morocco’s Young Lionesses Roar into World Cup History

Morocco also occupies a central place in her family environment. Her father, former Moroccan international Nabil Baha, works for the FRMF and currently coaches the men’s under-20 national team. Her brother Ziyad Baha, who came through Málaga and Betis before joining Olympique de Marseille, also represents Morocco in the youth categories.

Her appearances with the Lionesses do not yet definitively bind her to Morocco for her entire international career. As long as she has not played a match for the senior national team under the conditions stipulated by FIFA, a change of association remains legally possible.