Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina becomes first player to wear hijab at World Cup

The wearing of hijab on the world stage has always been a contentious subject. For the past 20 years, there was a ban on the wearing of hijab on the pitch. In 2007, a referee barred an 11-year-old Canadian girl from wearing her hijab to play in a derby. FIFA stepped in and banned the wearing of the Islamic identity scarf in its officiated games.

FIFA stated that wearing the hijab posed health and safety concerns, over fears a player risked being choked while playing football. In the years that ensued, there have been several efforts to right FIFA’s ban on the wearing of hijab.

It was therefore considered historic when Nouhaila Benzina became the first footballer to wear a hijab at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday. The 25-year-old Moroccan defender has not commented on the issue, but, she has made several posts flaunting her hijab.