Swiss-Moroccan Star Pilgrim Shines: From World Cup Snub to Euro Hero

After a series of injuries, she signed her return to the field in the most beautiful way with a goal against Iceland on Sunday, giving the victory to Switzerland (0-2) during the Euro. Pilgrim is the author of the second goal against Iceland on Sunday. A goal that gives a serious advantage to the Swiss women. On Thursday, after their draw against Finland, Switzerland secured their qualification for the quarter-finals.

The player of Moroccan origin was tempted by the offer of the Moroccan Football Federation to defend the colors of the kingdom at the 2023 World Cup in Australia, after being excluded by Switzerland. But Pilgrim eventually declined the Moroccan offer, confident that she will join the Swiss national team. After her elimination from the World Cup and her alarming results in the Nations League, the Swiss team under the orders of Inka Grings was going through a bad patch.

Playing for FC Zurich. Pilgrim is called up for the match against Spain (1-7) in the Women’s Nations League. The player comes into play while her team was trailing 4-0. She manages to score a goal, the first for the team in months and her very first for the national team, relays La Tribune de Genève. After the departures of Sydney Schertenleib or Naomi Luyet in October 2023, she has established herself in less than three months as a key player in the Swiss squad.

After remarkable performances with the national team, the Moroccan-born striker joined AS Roma during the winter break of the 2023-2024 season. But Pilgrim will be slowed in her progress by a series of injuries (knee cartilage, sprained with torn lateral ligaments) that will keep her off the field for a long period. In 19 matches, she scores only two goals. The player recovers before the Euro which takes place at home. But she is not a starter for the first matches.

On Sunday against Iceland, she made the difference. "I was ready and I wanted to be the decisive player of the match," she said after the game. The Moroccan-born striker is the second most followed player on Instagram with more than 500,000 subscribers, just behind Alisha Lehmann. With her decisive goal against Iceland, Pilgrim could be a starter on Thursday against Finland.