An initial bid by El Haddadi, who has made one competitive appearance for the Spanish national team, and the RMFF was rejected by FIFA in March and the two parties have now filed a joint appeal against the world governing body and the Spanish Football Federation, who are arguing against El Haddadi's nationality change.

A CAS statement on the case released today read: "A CAS arbitration procedure is in progress.

"First, the parties will exchange written submissions and a panel of three arbitrators will be constituted.

"The panel will then issue directions with respect to the holding of a hearing.

"Following the hearing, the panel will deliberate and issue a decision in the form of an arbitral award.

"The appellants have requested that the arbitral award be issued by mid-May in order for the player's sporting nationality to be decided prior to the commencement of the FIFA 2018 World Cup."

Following his debut for Spain against Macedonia on September 8, 2016, Munir, who currently plays for Spanish side Alavés on loan from FC Barcelona, said that he never considered playing for Morocco, the country of his father's birth, despite having numerous offers to do so.

According to ESPN, after the match, the forward said: "This is a childhood dream come true.

"It is true that everything is moving very fast, but I try and stay calm and keep working.

"I never had doubts about playing for Spain.

"I was born here and am very happy to have done it.

"To play for Spain was my own decision.

"I knew what it meant to do so."

Morocco are currently bidding against a combined North American effort to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

They have claimed that football’s governing body made last-minute changes to the bidding regulations which allegedly put the North African nation at a disadvantage to the rival bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The host of the 2026 World Cup will be decided in Moscow on June 13, prior to this year's edition in Russia.