Morocco would be the team most affected by the exclusion of foreign-born players and second-generation immigrants from national squads at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a new analysis by Spanish sports daily Marca.
Drawing on data from The Immigrant Factor website, the study examined the extent to which immigration has contributed to the strength of the 32 teams competing at the tournament.
The analysis compared each squad’s average rating before and after removing players born outside the countries they represent, as well as players with immigrant parents. When possible, affected players were reassigned to their countries of origin if those nations had qualified for the World Cup; otherwise, they were replaced by lower-rated domestic players.
In the actual tournament rankings, Morocco placed 14th, with an average squad rating of 75.4. The Atlas Lions ranked behind Egypt (76.9), Senegal (75.8) and Switzerland (75.6), while finishing ahead of Norway (75.3) and the United States (74.6).
France topped the rankings with an average squad rating of 83.2, followed by Spain at 82.8.
Under the hypothetical scenario, however, Morocco experienced the sharpest decline of any team, dropping 18 places in the standings.
France also suffered a significant fall, slipping from first to fifth. According to Marca, neither France’s 1998 nor its 2018 World Cup-winning teams can be understood without accounting for the contributions of immigrant families, working-class suburbs and players with African and Caribbean roots.
The newspaper argued that France’s footballing success reflects not only its ability to develop talent but also the stories of generations of families whose origins lie far from Paris, Marseille and Lyon.
Spain, meanwhile, rose to the top of the revised rankings. The analysis found that only three members of Spain’s 26-man squad—Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Aymeric Laporte—met its definition of foreign-born or second-generation immigrant players.
The experiment also explored alternative national affiliations based on birthplace. Under that scenario, Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, who was born in Spain and developed through Real Madrid’s academy, would be reassigned to the Spanish national team.
According to Marca, Spain would lose Yamal but regain Hakimi, illustrating the complex relationship between birthplace, football development and family heritage.
The newspaper stressed that the exercise does not challenge FIFA eligibility rules or the choices made by players regarding national representation. Rather, it seeks to highlight the role migration plays in shaping modern international football.
Unlike Morocco and France, traditional football powers Brazil and Argentina experienced only minor changes in the revised rankings.
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