Why does Tarik Tissoudali play for Morocco?
Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands · Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands, Morocco
Short answer
Tarik Tissoudali represents Morocco even though he was born in Netherlands. FIFA rules allow a player to represent any country whose nationality he holds, provided he has a family or residency connection to it; he committed to Morocco at senior level (first senior call-up on record: 2022).
Birthplace and citizenship
Tarik Tissoudali was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands; holds Kingdom of the Netherlands and Morocco citizenship.
Being born in Netherlands normally gives a player the right to represent Netherlands too, if he holds that nationality. Representing Morocco instead usually means a parent or grandparent was born there, or that the player lived there long enough to qualify through residency. Public records do not state which connection applied to Tarik Tissoudali, so we do not guess.
International career path
His international pathway, as recorded on Wikidata:
- Morocco — senior level, 2022–present (14 matches, 2 goals)
The rules in brief
A player can represent a country if they hold its nationality and have a genuine link to it: birth on its territory, a parent or grandparent born there, or several years of residency. Youth matches do not tie a player to a country. Since 2020, FIFA also lets a player switch once after a small number of senior appearances (no more than three, all before turning 21, none at a World Cup or continental finals) after a three-year wait.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Tarik Tissoudali play for Morocco?
Tarik Tissoudali holds Moroccan nationality and chose to represent Morocco at senior level despite being born in Netherlands.
Where was Tarik Tissoudali born?
Tarik Tissoudali was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
What nationality is Tarik Tissoudali?
Wikidata lists Tarik Tissoudali as a citizen of Kingdom of the Netherlands and Morocco.
Could Tarik Tissoudali have played for Netherlands?
Probably, if he holds Netherlands nationality, as players born in a country are eligible for it. Once a player has played a competitive senior match for one country, switching is only possible under narrow FIFA exceptions.
Other Netherlands-born players who chose Morocco
- Hakim ZiyechDronten · b. 1993
- Sofyan AmrabatHuizen · b. 1996
- Noussair MazraouiLeiderdorp · b. 1997
- Nordin AmrabatNaarden · b. 1987
- Zakaria AboukhlalRotterdam · b. 2000
- Karim El AhmadiEnschede · b. 1985
- Mounir El HamdaouiRotterdam · b. 1984
- Mbark BoussoufaAmsterdam · b. 1984
- Ismaïl AissatiUtrecht · b. 1988
- Zakaria LabyadUtrecht · b. 1993
- Oussama IdrissiBergen op Zoom · b. 1996
- Ali ElkhattabiSchiedam · b. 1977