Your dad is not wrong. I even have written on it once.
Morocco shows up as MAR on scoreboards because FIFA's country codes do not always come from the English name.
A lot of them come from French, which is the working language FIFA has used since it was founded in Paris in 1904. Morocco in French is Le Maroc. First three letters: MAR.
And Morocco is not alone. This happens more than people realise.
Germany is GER, which tracks in English. But then you get to Ivory Coast, which shows up as CIV, from Côte d'Ivoire. Algeria is ALG from Algérie. Haiti is HAI from Haïti. Switzerland is SUI from Suisse. Spain is ESP from España. Iran appears as IRN.
The pattern runs across the entire scoreboards.Some countries are also coded based on whatever their language is.
FIFA built its codes in an era when French dominated international administration, and colonial history shaped which language a country's name was recorded in first.
That legacy is still sitting quietly on every scoreboard at this World Cup.
I hope you have learned something today.
My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.
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