‘I didn’t even watch it’ – Younes Belhanda opens up on painful Morocco World Cup omission

Former Morocco international Younes Belhanda has revealed that the manner in which Walid Regragui left him out of the Atlas Lions’ squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was more painful than missing the tournament itself.

The midfielder admitted that he deliberately avoided watching Morocco during their historic campaign in Qatar after being excluded from Regragui’s final squad.

Speaking on the Riolo Club programme, the 36-year-old Al-Sailiya SC player disclosed that featuring at the World Cup had been one of his ambitions before ending his international career.

However, his omission came as a major disappointment, particularly because of his previous relationship with Regragui, who had worked alongside him as an assistant coach.

Belhanda explained that he had received a call-up shortly before the final squad was announced and was therefore surprised when his name was missing from the selection.

The former Morocco playmaker said he would have accepted the coach’s decision if Regragui had personally communicated his reasons, but the lack of contact left him deeply disappointed.

“On the day the list was announced, I called him, and he didn’t answer. Just give me an explanation. You’re a man; you tell me: ‘Younes, I make choices.’ I’m not 15 years old. I was 32. I would have understood, and I would have gotten over it. But not a call, nothing! It was very painful. I couldn’t get over it,” Belhanda said.

Belhanda refused to watch Morocco at Qatar 2022

The midfielder further revealed that his disappointment affected his relationship with the national team, prompting him to stop following the Atlas Lions during their impressive run at the 2022 World Cup.

Morocco made history in Qatar by becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals, but Belhanda said he had little interest in following their achievements at the time.

He disclosed that he only started following the national team again after Regragui’s departure.

Reflecting on Morocco’s historic achievement at the tournament, Belhanda said, “ I didn’t care. I didn’t even watch it.”

Belhanda’s contribution to Morocco

Born in Avignon, France, Belhanda represented Morocco between 2010 and 2022, making 59 appearances and scoring five goals after choosing to represent the North African country despite having featured for France at youth level.

He made his international debut against Northern Ireland in November 2010 and established himself as an important creative presence in Morocco’s midfield.

The former Montpellier midfielder featured in several Africa Cup of Nations campaigns, with his international career reaching a notable period under coach Herve Renard.

Belhanda made nine appearances for Morocco in 2018 and was part of the squad that represented the country at the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He started all three of Morocco’s group-stage matches against Iran, Portugal and Spain, before making his final international appearance in a friendly against Chile in September 2022.

Successful club career

At club level, Belhanda enjoyed a successful career across several European leagues.

He played a key role in Montpellier’s historic Ligue 1 triumph in 2012, helping the French club secure their first-ever league title.

The midfielder also won domestic league championships with Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine and Galatasaray in Turkey.