Explainer: How soccer’s eligibility rules work and their impact on the World Cup (opens original article in a new tab)

Morocco and other African nations have strengthened their World Cup teams by recruiting players from European diasporas, following FIFA's eligibility rules that allow nationality changes under specific conditions.

• Morocco's World Cup team includes 11 players born outside the country, with only Yassine Bounou born in Canada but developed locally.
• FIFA's eligibility rules require players to be citizens of the country they represent, with residency or familial ties, and allow nationality changes under specific conditions.
• Over 25% of players in this World Cup are from nations they weren't born in, highlighting the impact of diaspora talent on global football.