History made as Moroccan defender wears hijab during World Cup for the First time

Nouhaila Benzina, who plays as a defender for the Moroccan National Women’s Team has made history by becoming the first player ever to wear a hijab at a World Cup.

Ms Benzina on Sunday, July 30, 2023 wore the hijab for her side against South Korea. Her side beat the South Koreans with a goal to nil after ninety minutes of play.

The hijab is worn by Muslims for religious reasons and FIFA, the world governing body gave the all-clear for its wearing in 2014. This authorisation came after a longstanding ban on the wearing of head covering, including hijabs, for safety and health reasons.

“The wearing of head coverings for religious reasons was authorised by Fifa in 2014 and Benzina wore a white Islamic headscarf as she played the entire match in a vital victory that kept alive Morocco’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages on their World Cup debut,” the UK Guardian said.

Benzina, a player for Morocco’s AS FAR football team, is undoubtedly the first player to wear a hijab at a high-level women’s international competition such as the World Cup.