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At a time when future internationals are identified in their teenage years at the academies of Europe's biggest clubs, Amine Sbaï took the opposite path. Cast aside by the elite system at a young age, the Moroccan winger spent years in the anonymity of France's amateur divisions before, at 25, earning a place in Morocco's 2026 World Cup squad.
Born in Sidi Kacem in northwestern Morocco before growing up in southern France, Sbaï came through the ranks at Nîmes but was not retained by the club's academy. Considered too slight physically, he was forced to start over in far humbler surroundings. Yet he never gave up on his dream.
At Alès, far from the facilities and spotlight of professional football, Sbaï learned to persevere without guarantees. On pitches a world away from Ligue 1 standards, he developed a fearless style built on dribbling, taking on defenders and expressing himself freely with the ball at his feet. His performances eventually earned him a move to Sète in the National division, bringing him one step closer to professional football. Grenoble followed, and with it a higher level of competition as he gradually edged closer to France's elite.
The next chapter took him to Saudi Arabia with Al-Fateh, an experience that helped him mature and broaden his game. By the time he joined Angers, he had developed into a winger capable of unsettling defenses through his dribbling, direct running and ability to create danger in tight spaces. Those qualities quickly caught the attention of both Angers' coaching staff and observers of the Moroccan national team.
Having still been playing in France's fifth tier in 2021, Sbaï now finds himself in Morocco's World Cup squad just five years later. Few Atlas Lions can claim such a meteoric rise.
The 2025-26 campaign marked another step forward. In his first sustained spell in Ligue 1, the Angers winger found consistency and gradually established himself as one of the team's key attacking players. His steady progress earned him a place in Morocco's pre-World Cup training camp.
The unexpected call-up
When Mohamed Ouahbi unveiled his final 26-man squad, Sbaï's name was absent. Instead, he was listed among the reserves. Yet his presence at the preparation camp in the United States was no coincidence. The coach viewed him as a genuine option on the flanks, capable of bringing pace, directness and freshness to an already competitive attack.
Then, just days before the start of the tournament, events took an unexpected turn. Abdessamad Ezzalzouli suffered a knee injury during the warm-up match against Norway and was forced to withdraw from the World Cup. Already integrated into the group and familiar with the coaching staff's plans, Sbaï emerged as the natural replacement.
It was a defining moment for the Angers winger. He was not joining the national team for a friendly match or a rebuilding phase. He was being called into a World Cup squad on the eve of the competition, when coaches usually prefer certainty over experimentation.
For Sbaï, the story has taken on an almost improbable dimension. Only a few years ago, he was still playing in France's amateur divisions. Today, he is preparing to represent Morocco on football's biggest stage.
In a dressing room featuring former products of La Masia, PSG, Chelsea and Ajax, Amine Sbaï stands as a reminder that there is no single path to the top. His journey has been built on detours, setbacks, patience and perseverance. And that is precisely what makes him one of the most compelling stories in Morocco's 2026 World Cup squad.
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