Walid Regragui calls Anass Salah-Eddine, the player who chose Morocco over the Netherlands

At 23 years old and born in Amsterdam, Anass Salah-Eddine had nevertheless participated in the European Championship with the Dutch Under-21 team (Jong Oranje) last summer. The defender, who also holds Moroccan nationality, had however publicly announced last month his choice to continue his international career with the Atlas Lions.

His integration should be facilitated by the presence of several players he knows well. His teammate at PSV, Ismael Saibari, is also on Walid Regragui’s list, as are other players born in the Netherlands, such as Oussama Targhalline, Noussair Mazraoui and Sofyan Amrabat. This new call-up to the left-back position was made at the expense of Souffian El Karouani, who was not selected this time.

A still reversible change of sporting nationality

Salah-Eddine’s career path illustrates FIFA’s rules on dual nationality. Although he has represented the Netherlands in the youth categories, he remained eligible for Morocco.

In theory, his choice could even not be final after this gathering. Since the matches against Mozambique and Uganda are friendly matches, he could still opt for the Netherlands in the future. A player is definitively bound to a national team only after having played an official match, such as a qualifying match or a final phase match.

The player, who belongs to AS Roma and is currently on loan to PSV, has previously played for Ajax and FC Twente. He joins a Moroccan national team that has already qualified for the next 2026 World Cup.

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