Many people tuning in on Tuesday were perplexed as to why the country was identified as "MAR" throughout the match broadcasts when Morocco defeated Spain and made World Cup history.
The cause is actually rather straightforward. There are several exceptions to the rule that most scoreboard acronyms, also known as FIFA codes, are derived from the first three English letters of a country's name. One of the outliers is Morocco.
What makes Morocco a "MAR"?
Morocco is the name of the nation in English, whereas Maroc is the name of the nation in French.
Slate reported in 2018 that despite Arabic and Tamazight being the official languages of the nation, French nevertheless holds a significant influence there as a relic from the colonial past.
There are other World Cup teams having country codes other than the English norm in addition to Morocco.
Other abbreviations that stand out in 2022 include South Korea being referred to as "KOR," Saudi Arabia being referred to as "KSA," and Spain going by "ESP."
Many Qatari, Saudi, and Tunisian fans in Doha are now supporting Morocco, the final remaining Arab team in the first World Cup ever staged in the Middle East, after their own teams were ousted from the competition.
Morocco will go to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time thanks to its victory over Spain. Google Trends reports that after the shock victory, interest in the Moroccan national football team reached an all-time high worldwide.
Comments