This Monday, August 5, the Spanish National Team will play for a place in the final of the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games in a match that could guarantee a medal for Santi Denia’s team. The rival will be Morocco, which has reached the semi-finals with a list of players well known in Spanish football.
The ‘La Roja’ players will have to stop Ilias and Abde, the Villarreal and Betis wingers who are doing well in the tournament, but above all they will have the difficult mission of facing Achraf Hakimi. The PSG full-back is part of the list despite being over 25 years old, the same age as Brahim Díaz who is not called up by Morocco for the Olympic Games.
Hakimi, one of Morocco’s exceptions
Olympic squads must be made up of players under the age of 23. In the case of Paris 2024, players must have been born on or after 1 January 2001, but FIFA allows three exceptions. Each national team can call up a maximum of three players over the age of 23 to complete its squad.
Achraf Hakimi, who is already the leader of the senior team, is the most famous Moroccan player in the world of football and was chosen by the national team coach as one of the players over 23 years old. Goalkeeper Munir El Kajoui (35 years old) and striker Soufiane Rahimi (28 years old) are the other two exceptions.
Why Brahim doesn’t play
This summer of 2024 has been marked by the European Championship and the Copa América, tournaments that have caused many teams to start the preseason without many of their players. Real Madrid is one of the teams with the most international footballers, and with the competition just around the corner, it has blocked Brahim’s presence at the Paris Olympic Games.
Brahim, who decided to represent Morocco last season, had the chance to join the Atlas Lions as part of the group of players over 23 years old, but Real Madrid made it clear from the start that their decision was not to release him for Paris 2024. Although coach Tarik Sektioui wanted him on the list, the player has not forced his hand and has already participated in both of the Whites’ pre-season matches.
Olympic Games medal table
