Moroccan-Spanish sports journalist Leyla Hamed spent years moving through the world of elite European football, covering clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea and rubbing shoulders with some of the game’s biggest names. But Morocco’s historic 2022 World Cup run in Qatar marked a turning point, inspiring her to move beyond tactics and match reports to tell more human stories.
Racist and Islamophobic chants during a recent Spain–Egypt friendly have reignited concerns over discrimination in European football. From Larbi Benbarek to Lamine Yamal, repeated incidents show that Moroccan players continue to face racism across stadiums, media, and social platforms.