 ban on players wearing hijabs during football matches, deeming the regulation 'suitable and appropriate.' In 2007, FIFA issued a ban on all hijabs, with the belief that the garment was a 'safety risk' to players. Seven years later, the governing body lifted the ban, though numerous countries and federations, most notably the FFF, still exclude hijabi-wearing players from participating in the sport. Benzina's visibility on the world stage, however, has paved the way for major societal shifts through the women's game. And video game behemoth EA Sports has taken up the call and announced a patch update to FIFA 23 that will see Benzina's in-game avatar include her hijab. Previously, Benzina's hijab was not available in the game's World Cup mode, but EA Sports applied an update hours before Morocco's last-16 clash with France. While t){kind=link}
The 25-year-old wrote her name in the history books when she became the first player in history to wear a hijab at a senior-level major tournament during this summer’s Women’s World Cup
Moroccan star Nouhaila Benzina wrote her name in football’s history books during this summer’s Women’s World Cup, and the defender will now be immortalised for it within football’s biggest gaming franchise.
The 25-year-old became the first footballer in history to don a hijab at a senior-level major tournament when she started Morocco’s second group stage match against Korea Republic.
Benzina helped her side to a 1-0 victory that eventually landed Morocco an historic spot in the tournament’s knockout stages at the expense of two-time world champions Germany.
Morocco’s first-ever World Cup victory coincided with the sight of Benzina wearing her hijab in what represented watershed territory for athletes of Muslim faith, who have historically struggled to freely express their faith in competitive sports.