The holding line
Sofyan Amrabat, 29, is one of the first names on Morocco's teamsheet. Born in Huizen in the Netherlands, the 183 cm defensive midfielder wears the number 4 shirt for the national team and has been a near ever-present through the current campaign, making 12 appearances this season across all Morocco matches — contributing one assist in AFCON qualification while keeping a clean disciplinary and statistical slate elsewhere in the national team's schedule.
A busy club season across two leagues
This season has seen Amrabat split his club football between Fenerbahçe and Real Betis. His early-season spell at Fenerbahçe brought 2 Süper Lig appearances and 4 in the UEFA Champions League — where he added a goal — before he moved to Betis, where he has since logged 17 La Liga appearances and 6 in the UEFA Europa League, netting once in that competition. Across all club football this season, he has made 32 appearances and scored 2 goals.
The positional numbers tell the familiar story: this is a player built to win the ball and set the tempo rather than to pad a scoring sheet. Amrabat's 17 La Liga appearances at Real Betis underline that he has established himself as a regular fixture in Andalusia, and a Europa League goal alongside his continental experience at Fenerbahçe shows he is no stranger to high-pressure European nights.
What it means for Morocco
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Morocco need their most influential midfielders fit, sharp, and playing regularly — and Amrabat is ticking all three boxes so far this season. His 12 national-team appearances this season, spread across AFCON qualification, the Africa Cup of Nations itself, and friendlies, reflect just how central he is to the coaching staff's plans. One assist in qualification may look modest on paper, but his value in this Morocco side has always been measured in metres covered and danger snuffed out rather than direct contributions in the final third.