Moroccan international Yassine Khalifi, midfielder for Belgian club Sporting Charleroi, expressed his desire to join the national team and participate in the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Morocco in collaboration with Spain and Portugal. He emphasized his determination to continue improving his performance to achieve this goal.
Khalifi stated in an interview with Belgian newspaper “L'Echo” that participating in the 2030 World Cup represents a “big dream” for him, noting that reaching the Moroccan national team requires more effort and development due to the intense competition among Moroccan players in various European leagues.
The graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy confirmed that many Moroccan players are competing at high levels, whether in the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League, acknowledging that they currently have the upper hand over him in terms of experience and competitive level.
The Sporting Charleroi midfielder added, “There are players competing at high levels, whether in the Champions League or the Europa League, and they still have the advantage over me,” stressing the importance of continuing to work to gain the necessary experience to compete for a spot in the national team.
Khalifi, who is 21 years old, revealed his ambition to pursue a professional career in one of the major European leagues, expressing his desire to later move to a club that matches his abilities and playing style.
The Moroccan player said that transferring to a club like FC Barcelona would be an exceptional experience, adding, “Playing at Barcelona, for example, would be amazing.”
Khalifi, who won the U-20 World Cup with the Moroccan national team, believes that preparation for the 2030 World Cup should start now by maintaining a pace of development and delivering outstanding performances with his Belgian team, which would enhance his chances of being called up to the senior national team in the coming years.
The Moroccan midfielder has made his presence felt at Sporting Charleroi since the start of the current season, after spending his first season adapting to the team and the Belgian league, where his appearances were limited.
Khalifi, born in Marrakech, began his football career at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, which he joined at the age of twelve, before moving to Union Touarga when he turned 17.
The Moroccan player transferred to Lille OSC in the summer of 2023, where he spent about two seasons with the reserve team, before joining Sporting Charleroi during the summer transfer window of 2025 to continue his professional career in the Belgian league.
