Nouhaila Benzina made her debut at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on 30 July 2023 when Morocco narrowly beat South Korea by a lone goal. She missed what appears to be a glaring goalscoring opportunity when her volley on a poor corner clearance by the Korean keeper rose over the crossbar. However, what caught the attention of most fans was her white hijab.
Benzina’s appearance in that game made her the first female soccer player to wear a hijab at the Women’s World Cup. The 25-year-old defender was instrumental in the backline as her team made it to the round of 16 for the first time.
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In 2007, the world soccer governing body, FIFA, banned the use of hijab in soccer games for what they described as a “safety risk” to players. Although that ban was upturned in 2014, many soccer federations still restrict their players from wearing hijabs during matches. Below are interesting stats about Benzina.
- She was born in Kenitra, Morocco on 11 May 1998
- She plays locally as a defender for ASFAR as well as the Moroccan women’s national team
- Benzina’s first cap for her country was at the under-20 level
- Her first appearance at the Women’s World Cup is also the first for Morocco
- She is the first woman to wear a hijab at the Women’s World Cup
- Benzina played a part as Morocco secured their first women’s World Cup victory against South Korea
EA adds hijab-wearing Benzina to its patch update
Although EA Sports is rebranding its FIFA franchise to EA Sports FC 24, they are not done with the last game they released under the FIFA nameplate. The rebranding became inevitable after EA Sports failed to reach an agreement with FIFA on royalty payment.
EA Sports announced that Benzina’s historic hijab has been added to their FIFA 23 World Cup patch update. In the future, EA Sports wants to make sure that goal celebrations and special skills displayed by soccer players on the pitch make it to their games in a matter of days.
With soccer players always pulling up surprises whenever they step on the turf, it can only mean that EA Sports FC 24 and other games that will come after that will receive updates more frequently—maybe weekly, who knows?
Prior to the arrival of the FIFA 23 World Cup patch update, Benzina’s avatar was not wearing a hijab in the World Cup mode of FIFA 23. However, the update was effected before Morocco’s defeat against France in the Round of 16.
Benzina’s historic hijab appearance sparked a debate, especially in France
Three weeks to the start of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the top administrative court in France ruled that the French Football Federation’s ban on soccer players wearing religious symbols was “appropriate and proportional”. With that ruling, France is now the only European country that stops players from wearing hijabs in most competitive domestic sports.
Benzina’s hijab appearance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia sparked a debate. Some praised her action as heroic while others, like French journalist Philippe Guibert, saw it as being insensitive to her teammates.
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“You have to consider that this young woman who is wearing the hijab is trying to tell her partners, ‘You are indecent’,” Guibert argued in a debate. “That’s what the hijab signifies. She has to conceal her body as much as possible and because a woman has to be a prude, that’s the significance of the hijab. That’s why I agree that it’s an incredible regression.”
The French journalist immediately came under fire for what many considered “intolerant remarks”. EA Sports’ inclusion of hijab in FIFA 23 shows how much soccer players can influence both the physical and virtual worlds. It is also likely to inspire a new generation of athletes and set the tone for greater representation in the game.
Do you support the idea of soccer players wearing religious symbols to games? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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