From Raja ball boy to World Cup hero: The rise of Soufiane Rahimi

RIYADH: When Ismael Saibari clutched the back of his right thigh just 22 minutes into Morocco’s FIFA World Cup round of 16 clash against Canada, alarm bells started ringing. In a tournament where the Atlas Lions’ glaring weakness had been converting golden chances, losing their top scorer was the last thing they needed.

Morocco’s biggest doubters emerged, knowing that Saibari’s absence would mean a weaker offensive display.

His replacement was Soufiane Rahimi.

The Al-Ain forward had racked up just 61 minutes of game time before the round of 16, operating as a key bench player for a nation he only truly broke into in early 2024. That gamble had already paid off once, with a late cameo against Haiti producing a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win. Whether he could deliver on the knockout stage was a different question, especially thrust on early through injury rather than as a planned introduction.

Yet Soufiane Rahimi is no stranger to defying the odds.

“When I think of Soufiane Rahimi, the first word that comes to mind is hope,” said FIFA content producer and avid Atlas Lions fan Tim Argane. “He’s living proof that a kid growing up playing football in the streets — the ‘drouba’ — of Morocco can dream of playing for the national team and compete on the biggest stage in football.”

Rahimi is one of seven players in Morocco’s 2026 squad born in the country. He has never played in Europe, splitting his career between Raja Casablanca and Al-Ain. For Argane, that pathway is central to what makes Morocco’s squad work.

“I don’t see the idea that Morocco ‘recruits’ players from abroad as a substantial argument, because at the end of the day we’re all Moroccan,” Argane told Arab News.

“What Morocco has done so well is create