Sofiane Boufal has played down talk of a Morocco return ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 insisting his full focus remains on helping Le Havre avoid relegation in Ligue 1.
The 32 year old winger made it clear that international ambitions are not driving his current decisions despite ongoing debate over his place with the Atlas Lions.
Club first, World Cup later
Boufal who joined Le Havre in January 2026, stressed that his move was not linked to boosting his chances of a World Cup call-up. Instead he described it as the right step after a difficult period in his career.
“I didn’t come here because of the World Cup.. I came because it was the right opportunity” he said.
Since arriving, Boufal has registered one goal and three assists in 13 appearances, contributing to a side battling to stay in the top flight. Le Havre remain just five points away from safety making the final stretch of the season decisive.
Sofiane Boufal’s first goal with Le Havre 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/isLwWkVvKj
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 19, 2026
“I don’t wake up thinking about the national team”
Despite speculation about his international future, Boufal adopted a measured tone when discussing Morocco.
“I don’t wake up every day thinking about the World Cup. The pitch will decide” he explained.
He added that he remains available for selection but will not place pressure on himself or the coaching staff.
“I’m always at the disposal of the national team if they need me. But what matters is performance”
Boufal has not featured for Morocco since 2024 and his absence comes at a time when younger attacking talents such as Brahim Diaz & Eliesse Ben Seghir are establishing themselves.
Settled in Le Havre project
The Moroccan international also highlighted his commitment to Le Havre’s survival fight even suggesting he would be open to extending his stay at the club.
He praised the coaching staff and described the environment as stable emphasizing that the collective objective outweighs individual ambitions.
“For me, staying in the league with the team is more important than anything else right now”
« 𝗖’𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗤𝗨𝗜 𝗩𝗔 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗘𝗥 (𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗲 𝗗𝘂 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲). » 🗣️Sofiane Boufal talks about the HAC and a potential CDM 2026 🇲🇦🎙️: “𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷’𝗮𝗶 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲́ at HAC (Le Havre), I didn’t sign here for… pic.twitter.com/WTmeHTV5c1
— Actu Foot Maroc (@ActuFootMaroc) April 21, 2026
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
