Nouhaila Benzina, a Moroccan defender, has made history by becoming the first player to wear a hijab at a FIFA World Cup.
Benzina, 25, adorned the Islamic headscarf as she made her first appearance at the tournament in her side’s 1-0 win over South Korea.
FIFA in 2014 approved the wearing of head coverings for religious reasons.
Morocco are one of the eight teams playing their first-ever Women’s World Cup this summer.
Nouhaila Benzina, who plays her club football in Morocco, becomes the first player to wear the hijab at a senior women’s international tournament.
Muslim girls and women wear the hijab as a display of modesty, but it’s not always welcomed on the football pitch.
The Three Hijabis fan group member, Amna Abdullatif, reveals that it is “really significant” to see a player wearing the hijab on such a big stage.
Speaking to BBC in an interview, she said Nouhaila Benzina is “representing many of us who never thought we’d ever see this”.
“Many Muslim women have said how much it would have meant growing up.”
“How much it would mean to their children, growing up to see that representation on the world stage.”
Despite Benzina’s show of modesty today, July 30, the hijab in football and its road to the Women’s World Cup have a long, complicated history.
A lot of Muslims around the world criticized her actions irrespective of the reason she celebrated, but now Benzina has restored some modesty.
Nouhaila Benzina
Nouhaila Benzina is a Moroccan footballer who was born on 11 May, 1998 and plays as a defender for ASFAR and the Morocco women’s national team.
Benzina made history as the first female player to ever wear an Islamic headscarf at the senior-level FIFA Women’s World Cup in July 2023.
