Moroccan stars catch the eye with an unexpected gesture towards En-Nessiri

A number of Moroccan national team players made a special gesture towards their counterpart Youssef En-Nesiri, the striker of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad, just days before the start of the 2026 World Cup finals hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Morocco’s national team is set to play a friendly match against Madagascar at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium today, Tuesday evening, as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup finals.

Another World Cup appearance marks Morocco’s seventh World Cup appearance in history and third in a row, an unprecedented achievement in the Atlas Lions’ career on the international stage.

In a friendly atmosphere at the national team’s camp, a number of Moroccan stars wanted to send special birthday wishes to Youssef En-Nessiri, a move that was well received by fans.

Goalkeeper Yassin Bono has been at the forefront of congratulations, sending a special message to his former team-mate in Seville, Spain to celebrate the Saudi Al-Ittihad striker’s birthday.

The congratulatory video saw the appearance of a number of players from the Moroccan national team, including Reda El Taqnauti, Sofiane Rahimi, Ezedine Ounahi and Ayoub El Kaabi.

Despite En-Nesiri’s absence from Morocco’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, he still holds a special place among his teammates at the Atlas Lions camp in Rabat under coach Mohamed Wehbe.

Morocco will begin their campaign in Group C with a strong clash against Brazil at New York’s MetLife Stadium on June 13, before taking on Scotland at Boston’s Gillette Stadium on June 19, before concluding the group stage with Haiti at Mercedes Atlanta Stadium on June 24.