Former defender of the Netherlands: My heart belongs to Morocco

Former Dutch attacking midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, who was born in Utrecht but has Moroccan roots, made a high-profile statement before the match between these two national teams in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. "In this particular match, my heart belongs to Morocco, simply because my roots are Moroccan. My parents are from Morocco and my family lives there. What additional motivation do I need? I know a lot of people will get it wrong. I also grew up here and I am incredibly grateful to the Netherlands for everything. But which team will I be rooting for tonight? Morocco. I am very grateful to the Netherlands, but it was because of my game and my ability. I was called up to the Netherlands national team at one time, not because I am a good person, but because I deserved it," said the former Dutch footballer. We will remind that Afellay has 53 matches and seven goals for the national team of the Netherlands.