Why does Yassine Bounou have Bono on the back of his shirt?

Yassine Bounou of Morocco makes a save during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter final match between Morocco and Portugal at Al Thumama Stadium on December 10, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. — Why does Morocco shot-stopper Yassine Bounou wear 'Bono' on the back of his shirt? (Image credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Fans unfamiliar with the Morocco squad will likely have questioned tonight why the national team goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, sported ‘Bono’ on the back of his shirt.

Is he paying tribute to the legendary U2 frontman? — some will ask, but the story goes back to Bounou’s playing days in Spain.

The Moroccan shot-stopper, now an Africa Cup of Nations champion after a bizarre court ruling earlier this year, is known at the World Cup for his heroics against Portugal in 2022.

Why did Yassine Bounou have Bono on the back of his shirt during Brazil vs Morocco at the World Cup 2026?

Unfortunately for the Irish, and for British fans of the legendary band, Bounou does not sport ‘Bono’ on the back of his shirt in tribute to the singer.

Instead, the Morocco international, who denied an injury time effort from Cristiano Ronaldo in 2022 to send his nation to the World Cup semi-finals, received the nickname for purely phonetic purposes.

Sergio Busquets sees his penalty saved by Yassine Bounou as Spain lose to Morocco in a shootout in the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup. — In the round prior to Portugal in 2022, Bono was a Moroccan hero against Spain in the penalty shoot-out. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Bounou’s name is pronounced similarly to the way that the U2 frontman’s name is, leading the 35-year-old to have it stamped on his shirt.

While it is unclear exactly when Bono first started sporting the name, it is believed to have occurred during his playing days in Spain.

The Morocco international played for Real Zaragoza, Girona and Sevilla, making a combined 214 appearances for the clubs.

It is assumed that the shot-stopper began sporting the ‘Bono’ moniker with Real Zaragoza, as he did not wear the name on his shirt for his senior debut with Wynad Casablanca.

In between his stints with those clubs, Bono was at Sevilla, where he did not make an appearance for the Spanish side.

Senegal's players hold the trophy after winning the Africa Cup of Nations. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) — Senegal lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy earlier this year, then it ended up in the hands of Morocco and Bono after the fact. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Moroccan legend, who has received 90 caps for his national team, became the first keeper in Africa Cup of Nations final history to concede a losing goal and still be victor.

Morocco lost the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final by a scoreline of 1-0 to Senegal, however, a court ruled months after the fact that the latter had unknowingly forfeited the game earlier.

That came prior to Senegal’s ‘winning’ goal in injury time, when Morocco were granted a penalty in regular time and Pape Thiaw’s men walked off the pitch in protest.

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Kedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC, he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television, you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.