The rising Moroccan player Nail Al-Ainawi expressed his overwhelming happiness after receiving his first official call-up to join the national senior football team, confirming his pride in his Moroccan roots and his appreciation for the dual identity that combines his Moroccan father and French mother.

Al-Ainawi, the son of former Moroccan tennis star Younes Al-Ainawi, has been included in the national coach Walid Regragui's list in preparation for the African qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, where the "Atlas Lions" will face Niger on September 5 in Rabat, before traveling to Lusaka to take on Zambia on the eighth of the same month.

Al-Ainawi said in a video statement on social media, "I feel an extraordinary pride wearing the national team jersey for the first time. My extended family lives in Rabat, and Morocco is always present in my life, as I used to visit regularly until I was fourteen."

The young player recalled his memories of the football atmosphere in the kingdom, highlighting that despite his family's sports background in tennis, football remains the primary passion in Morocco. He added, "I attended the Casablanca derby with my father and brothers, and it was an unforgettable experience; the atmosphere there is truly global."

With this inclusion, Regragui continues to bet on promising talents to renew the national team, in anticipation of preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 and qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.