Morocco’s World Cup hopes hit as Barcelona retain teenage talent Mayssa Baha

Morocco will be without teenage forward Mayssa Baha at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup on home soil after Barcelona decided to retain the youngster amid first-team injury concerns.

National team coach Younes Rabie confirmed that the 15-year-old had been considered for the tournament but would not join the hosts after the Spanish club opted against releasing her.

The decision is a setback for Morocco, who had expected Baha to play a key role in their campaign, but underlines the rapid rise of one of Africa’s most promising young attacking talents.

Barcelona hold on to rising Moroccan star

Rabie said injuries within Barcelona’s squad had influenced the club’s decision, adding that Morocco’s technical team understood the situation.

Baha has made significant progress since the start of the season, moving from the fringes of Barcelona’s senior side to becoming a regular option in the first-team setup.

She made her senior debut against Tenerife on 30 August and has since featured in four Liga F matches. Her breakthrough moment came on 26 September, when she scored in a 2-0 victory over Logrono United in her first league start.

The goal made Baha the youngest goalscorer in Liga F history, aged 15 years, eight months and 10 days.

She was also recognised as the youngest player to score for Barcelona’s senior men’s or women’s teams, further highlighting her emergence at the Catalan club.

Baha’s growing importance was evident when she was included among coach Pere Romeu’s attacking options for last weekend’s Clasico against Real Madrid. Fellow forward Vicky Lopez missed the match through injury.

Morocco adjust plans ahead of tournament

Baha’s absence is not the only change to Morocco’s preparations for the competition.

Rabie confirmed that Chaimae Boughazi would also miss the tournament after suffering an injury while on club duty following the Mediterranean Games. Goalkeeper Manal Dupont is another absentee.

Nessma Mouradi, meanwhile, is expected to join the squad on 12 October after completing her commitments with French club Paris FC.

Morocco are completing their final preparations at the Mohammed VI Football Complex. The team are scheduled to face Chile in a closed-door friendly on 9 October before taking on Canada two days later.

Hosts prepare for Group A challenge

Morocco will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on 17 October before facing Germany three days later. Their final Group A match will be against Argentina on 23 October.

All three fixtures are scheduled to take place at the Women’s Football Complex.

Playing at home offers Morocco an opportunity to make an impression on the global stage, but the absence of Baha leaves Rabie without a forward who had been expected to make a significant contribution.

The youngster had emerged as one of Morocco’s key performers at the 2025 World Cup, raising expectations ahead of this year’s tournament.

Her omission also reflects a major change in her career within the space of a year. Having previously been a key figure for Morocco’s youth side, Baha is now competing for opportunities at one of Europe’s leading clubs.