Belgium have contacted Standard de Liege winger Adnane Abid after learning that the 23-year-old has been preselected by Morocco for upcoming international fixtures.
The Royal Belgian Football Association’s approach was reported by Belgian daily Le Soir on Wednesday, as the country attempts to retain another promising dual-national player after several footballers of Moroccan origin opted to represent the Atlas Lions in recent years.
Morocco made the first move last week, when Standard de Liege were informed that Abid had been included in Mohamed Ouahbi’s preliminary plans.
Simon Mignolet, the former Belgium goalkeeper who is now a technical official with the Belgian federation, subsequently contacted Abid to discuss his intentions concerning his international future.
The winger has attracted attention with his performances at the start of the season, despite Standard’s collective difficulties. He has scored three goals in nine league appearances and, at 1.65m, has impressed with his ability to take on defenders, beat opponents one-on-one and create space from the flank.
Born in Verviers in the Liege area, Abid came through the academies at Genk and Patro Eisden before joining Standard in the summer of 2025. He represented Belgium at youth level up to Under-19 level, but has also made clear that his Moroccan heritage could influence his decision.
In an interview with Standard’s media channels, Abid spoke about the importance of both sides of his identity.
“I am Belgian-Moroccan and both countries are close to my heart. Choosing one national team does not mean you reject the other. At some point, it is the choice of the heart that matters,” he said.
However, when asked which country he would choose, Abid expressed a clear preference for Morocco.
“The heart would naturally choose Morocco. Every Moroccan has this blood connection which means Morocco is something enormous. I love Belgium enormously too, but naturally, it is the choice of my origins.”
He added: “That does not make me ungrateful, but at some point, the heart makes the choice; it is no longer you. The national team is sacred. I would choose Morocco without hesitation.”
Abid’s comments could reduce Belgium’s hopes of persuading him to commit to the Red Devils. In recent years, Chemsdine Talbi, Rayane Bounida, Bilal El Khannouss and Zakaria El Ouahdi have all chosen Morocco after progressing through Belgian football.
The next step will be whether Ouahbi turns Abid’s pre-selection into a first senior appearance for Morocco. The Atlas Lions are scheduled to face Niger on 13 and 17 November, with those matches offering Abid the opportunity to progress to the final squad if he is selected.
