Yanis Bakraoui: 'Playing for Morocco is a Great Honor, I Dream of World Cup Participation'

Moroccan international Yanis Bakraoui, a player for Portuguese club Estoril Praia, affirmed that his decision to represent the Moroccan national team stemmed from his deep connection to his family roots and Moroccan identity. He emphasized that his biggest dream is to participate in the World Cup finals and score a goal for the senior national team.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper "AS," Bakraoui stated, "My choice to play for Morocco comes from my roots and my family. Playing for the Moroccan national team is a great honor for me, and I aspire to participate in the next World Cup."

He added, "The most important thing for me is to help my team achieve victory, not just to stay within the penalty area or only score goals."

Bakraoui continued, "When I arrived in Portugal, people noticed my stylistic resemblance to Karim Benzema. I scored three goals with the youth team against Olympique Lyonnais, and some began to describe me as 'the new Benzema.' I am trying to learn from him and benefit from his experience."

He clarified, "Certainly, playing in the World Cup is a big dream for me, but the most important thing is to continue working hard and deliver my best performance with the club. Among my biggest goals is to score a goal in the senior national team jersey."

He concluded, "I don't consider myself merely a striker confined to the penalty area; rather, I prefer to participate in playmaking and move between the lines to help the team create scoring opportunities."

It is worth noting that Bakraoui, along with the Moroccan U23 national team, won the 2023 U23 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco, after defeating the Egyptian U23 national team 2-1 in the final match.