Nouhaila Benzina went down in Women's World Cup history as the first player to wear a hijab at a game when Morocco battled South Korea on Sunday.
World governing body FIFA lifted its ban on footballers wearing the hijab nearly a decade ago, after previous concerns over player safety.
The 25-year-old defender Benzina, who plays her club football in Morocco, ran out against South Korea in Adelaide to write her name in the history books.
Benzina shared social media posts in the lead-up to the World Cup about wearing a hijab but has not spoken to the media in Australia and New Zealand about it.
She told broadcaster Al Jazeera recently it would be a proud moment.
"Lots of work was done over many years, and thank God it had a positive result," she said.
"We hope to play at a high level and honor Moroccans," she added.
Several other sports have lifted hijab bans in recent years including basketball, but it is still not allowed during official football matches in France.
"I have no doubt that more and more women and Muslim girls will look at Benzina and just really be inspired – not just the players, but I think decision makers, coaches, other sports as well," said Assmaah Helal, a co-founder of the Muslim Women in Sports Network.
Morocco is the first Arab or North African nation to qualify for the Women's World Cup.
"We are honored to be the first Arab country to take part in the Women's World Cup," Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak told reporters before the tournament.
"We feel that we have to shoulder a big responsibility to give a good image, to show the achievements the Moroccan team has made," she added
