Younes Belhanda reopens the wounds of the Qatar World Cup 2022 and reveals his dispute with Regragui

Belhanda recounts details of the hidden dispute with Regragui and exclusion backstage

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Younes Belhanda reopens the wounds of the Qatar World Cup 2022 and reveals his dispute with Regragui

Former Morocco international Younes Belhanda has revealed that he still resents Walid Regragui over his exclusion from the FIFA World Cup 2022 squad, admitting that the disappointment prevented him from watching his country's historic campaign in Qatar.

The 36 year old midfielder, currently playing for Al Sailiya in Qatar, made the revelations during an appearance on RMC Sport's Riolo Club programme on Thursday 29 October.

Despite four years having passed since the incident, Belhanda insists that the manner in which Regragui handled his omission remains difficult to accept.

Belhanda reveals why his relationship with Regragui broke down

Speaking during the Riolo Club interview with Daniel Riolo, Belhanda explained that his frustration was rooted in what he considered a lack of communication from Morocco's former head coach.

"Even today, I still hold it against Walid Regragui. I didn't understand" the midfielder said.

The situation was particularly painful because the two men had previously enjoyed a close professional relationship.

Regragui had worked as an assistant coach during Belhanda's earlier international career and the pair maintained regular contact.

Following nearly two years without representing Morocco, Belhanda received another international call up shortly before the World Cup 2022.

He interpreted that decision as an indication that he might still have an opportunity to participate in the tournament.

"We were very close. He had been my assistant coach, and we spoke often. He called me up just before the World Cup and gave me hope" Belhanda explained.

However, when Regragui announced his final 26 man squad in November 2022, the former Montpellier midfielder was not included.

An unanswered phone call that Belhanda has never forgotten

Belhanda revealed that he attempted to contact Regragui immediately after discovering his exclusion.

According to the player, the coach did not answer his call or subsequently provide an explanation.

"On the day the squad was announced, I called him and he didn't answer" Belhanda said.

The Moroccan international stressed that he would have accepted a straightforward explanation, even if the decision itself remained disappointing.

"Be a man and tell me: Younes, I'm making my choices. I wasn't 15 years old; I was 32. I would have understood"

Belhanda added that receiving no communication had made the situation particularly difficult.

"It was very painful. I still haven't got over it" he admitted.

His account highlights a distinction between disagreeing with a coach's sporting decision and feeling disappointed by the way that decision was communicated.

Belhanda did not suggest that Regragui had promised him a World Cup place but maintained that their previous relationship had created expectations of a more direct conversation.

Why did Belhanda refuse to watch Morocco's historic World Cup campaign?

Perhaps the most surprising revelation concerned Belhanda's reaction to Morocco's performances in Qatar.

Under Regragui, the Atlas Lions became the first African and Arab national team to reach the semi finals of a FIFA World Cup.

They defeated Belgium during the group stage before eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds.

As Foot Africa previously highlighted in its review of Morocco's greatest World Cup performances, the achievement represented an unprecedented breakthrough for African football.

However, while millions celebrated the country's remarkable progress, Belhanda admitted that he could not bring himself to follow the matches.

"I didn't care. I wasn't even watching" he explained.

The former international had hoped to participate in the tournament before ending his career with the national team.

Instead, he watched his opportunity disappear just weeks before Morocco embarked on the most successful World Cup campaign in their history.

Belhanda's disappointment also affected his connection with the national team in the years that followed.

He revealed that even Morocco's appearance against Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final did not produce the emotional response he would previously have expected.

A 59 cap international who missed Morocco's greatest moment

Belhanda's comments carry particular weight given his long international career.

The midfielder earned 59 caps for Morocco and represented the Atlas Lions at the 2018 World Cup in Russia starting all three group stage matches.

He also enjoyed a successful club career across Europe, winning the French Ligue 1 title with Montpellier in 2012 before playing for Dynamo Kyiv, Galatasaray and other clubs.

Regragui, meanwhile, became a national hero after guiding Morocco to the World Cup semi finals only months after his appointment.

His tenure subsequently included another major international achievement as Morocco reached the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final.

As Foot Africa documented in its assessment of Regragui's Morocco career, his legacy combines an unprecedented World Cup breakthrough with considerable pressure surrounding his later results.

Yet Belhanda's account illustrates how the same period can be remembered differently by players who were not selected.

Younes Belhanda: "Birini bıçakla beklediğim falan yok, bu tamamen uydurma. Antrenmanda Birkir Bjarnason'a yumruk attığım ve onu bayılttığım ise doğru... Antrenmanlarda sürekli sert müdahaleler yapan biriydi. Benden çekindiği için yanıma pek yaklaşmazdı. Önceki yıl ben sakatken benim yerime oynuyordu. Yeni sezona çok formda girince forması için tehdit hissetti ve antrenmanda bana iki kez dirsek attı. İlkinde herhangi bir karşılık vermedim ama tekrar yapınca döndüm ve vurdum, yere düştü. Sonrasında orada büyük bir olay çıkardı. Basını aramaya başladı, 'Kulüp beni yeterince korumadı' gibi açıklamalar yaptı. Ertesi gün sadece özür dilemek için yanına gittim. 'Sen de bana bir yumruk at' dedim. Takıma yeniden katılabilmem için Bjarnason’un beni affetmesi gerekiyordu. Ama o bunu istemiyordu. Üç gün eve gidip geldikten sonra yeniden takıma alındım. Vincenzo Montella, beni ilk 11’de oynatacağını ancak bu kararının arkasında durabilmesi için sahada kendimi göstermem gerektiğini söyledi. Çıktım ve gol attım. Gol sonrası Bjarnason'la tokalaşmak istedim ama yine reddetti. Bütün yılı homurdanarak yedek kulübesinde geçirdi. Sanırım bıçak hikayesini de bu yüzden uydurdu. Ortada hiçbir zaman bıçak olmadı." (After Foot)
— De Marke Sports (@demarkesports) October 30, 2026

Has Belhanda moved on since Regragui's departure?

The former Morocco midfielder indicated that his attitude towards the national team began to change after Regragui left his position in March 2026.

The Moroccan federation subsequently appointed Mohamed Ouahbi as his successor, beginning a new chapter following the historic 2022 World Cup campaign.

As Foot Africa reported following the coaching change, Ouahbi inherited a team facing significant expectations after Regragui's achievements.

Belhanda said that he had resumed following Morocco's matches after the former coach's departure.

However, his latest interview suggests that the personal disagreement remains unresolved.

Regragui had not publicly responded to Belhanda's latest comments at the time of reporting.

This article follows our newsroom’s editorial standards. To learn more about how we create and fact-check our content, see our Editorial Policy .

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.