Fans’ eyes were fixed on the stands of Monterrey Stadium in Mexico, as well as behind the television screens, awaiting the fate of the decisive penalty kick taken by Moroccan star Ismail Sibari in his country’s match against the Netherlands in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
Unlike everyone else, Saibari was very calm, as he confidently sent the ball into the net to the right of the Dutch goalkeeper, who jumped to the opposite side, giving Morocco the ticket to the 16th round of the current World Cup.
Before that, during the group stage, Saibari was one of Morocco’s most prominent stars, scoring 3 goals, the first of which was against Brazil, which, by the way, was his first World Cup goal in his first participation in the World Cup.
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In that match, which was held on June 14, Saibari shot like an arrow and preceded the defenders of Brazil – one of the most famous and powerful teams in the world – to reach the amazing pass of his compatriot Brahim Diaz, and with one touch, he put it over goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Loeb) and into the net.
During his celebration of this historic goal, Saibari (25 years old) appeared astonished, placing his hands on his head with a wide smile, as if asking himself, “Am I really the one doing this?” That moment served as the starting point for an amazing international career that came after a human journey full of suffering that began with him since his childhood.
Doctors’ terrifying prophecies and mother’s prayers
Sibari was born on January 28, 2001 in the town of Terrassa, one of the famous districts of Barcelona, to Moroccan parents. Since his childhood, he faced a serious medical problem that almost prevented him from even walking normally.
In a television interview dating back to May 2025, Saibari revealed that his feet were bent inward, which caused him difficulties in movement and psychological suffering, which forced his parents to install a medical device, even though it would not solve the problem according to the opinion of the doctors supervising his condition.
He said, “When I was one or two years old, I did not walk like other children. The doctors told my parents that I would not be able to walk properly for the rest of my life.”
He added in a confident tone, “We are Muslims and we believe in God. My mother used to pray to God to heal me and give me just a normal life. It was not necessary for me to become a football player, and now I have normal feet, thank God, a normal body and good health.”
When asked about the medical device he put in his feet, Sibari replied, “I had a foot orthopedic device that helps children walk naturally. I used it for about a year or maybe a little more, and thank God I became normal after that after he made my feet straight.”
During his family’s stay in Terrassa, Saibari joined a local club at the age of six. He played football on the beach, not on grass fields, and after one year he joined the Ladam team, affiliated with a football academy in Barcelona.
Immigration to Belgium and early trauma
The Saibari family went through harsh circumstances in Barcelona that forced them to leave, so his parents traveled to Belgium in 2007 in order to give their children a better future, according to what he put it, and there he continued on the path to achieving his dream of becoming a professional player.
But his dreams were cut short when he was fourteen years old, after the Anderlecht club academy abandoned him just one day before the start of the football season for a cruel reason that would destroy the psyche of any teenager.
Regarding the reason for not completing his football career in Belgium, Saibari replied, “I was in a wonderful moment and I was playing well, but I can say that they expelled me for a trivial reason. They told me that I was fat.”
He added, “In my opinion, the reason was not convincing. If the player was overweight, he could get rid of him. At that time, the club’s academy officials were not honest. It was very painful for me because everyone knew that Anderlecht was the best club in Belgium.”
He touched again on his family’s role, “My parents supported me again, motivated me and told me that such things happen in life. Then they said that I had two options: either to give up or to work again to achieve my dream.”
He stressed, “I chose the second path and I was very happy with their advice. This experience taught me that life is not completely fair, but a person must continue working.”
Revenge and continue the path of glory
Saibari did not raise the white flag, so he moved directly to the under-17 youth team of Genk Club, specifically in the summer of 2017, and fate put him facing his former team.
With a broad smile, Sibari spoke about that confrontation, saying, “I played a very strong match against Anderlecht and scored a goal. We won 4-3 that day and won the championship.”
After 3 years he spent with Genk, during which he rose to the U-21 team, his destination changed to Eindhoven in 2020, and he learned the path of titles and championships with him.
Saibari won 8 local titles with PSV Eindhoven: the Dutch League (3), the Dutch Cup (2), and the Dutch Super Cup (3), and he played 142 matches with them in all tournaments, most notably the Champions League, during which he scored 42 goals and assisted 29 others, according to data from the famous “Transfermarkt” website.
His impressive numbers caught the attention of major clubs on the Old Continent, led by Bayern Munich, which came close to signing the Moroccan player.
Reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who specializes in player transfers, confirmed a few weeks ago that the deal had been officially settled.
He explained through his official account on the “X” platform that Saibari will move to the Bavarian giant in exchange for 55 million euros (about 59.4 million dollars) for PSV Eindhoven.
He added that Saibari will undergo a medical examination in the United States, where he will participate with his country in the World Cup finals, before the official announcement of the deal.
The helpless child soars above the world
There is no doubt that moving to a club the size of Bayern Munich will enhance Saibari’s collection of group titles, writing additional chapters in the inspiring story of a player who needed medical equipment to stand on his feet as a child, and was expelled because of his excess weight as a teenager.
Saibari’s participation against the Netherlands is the 34th in his international career with Morocco, which began on September 12, 2023 during the era of former national coach Walid Regragui, when he participated against Burkina Faso in a friendly match that ended with the “Atlas Lions” winning with a single goal scored by his compatriot Azzedine Ounahi.
In all of his international matches, Saibari scored 12 goals and provided one assist, according to data from the Transfer Market website, which specializes in player and club data.
After his remarkable brilliance in the current World Cup matches, it is expected that coach Mohamed Wehbe will continue to rely on Sibari in the starting lineup for the Moroccan national team in its next match against Canada, scheduled at Houston Stadium next Saturday, July 4, at 20:00 Mecca and Doha time.
During the current World Cup, Saibari made World Cup history, as the first African player to score in three consecutive matches (Brazil – Scotland – Haiti).
Aside from football, and due to his upbringing and life in different places, Saibari speaks 5 languages fluently: Spanish, the language of the country in which he was born, Dutch because he lived in Belgium and the Netherlands, French, English, and Arabic.
