Brazil’s opponent for the debut of the 2026 World Cup, Morocco is no longer a surprise. A semi-finalist in 2022, he led the group with Croatia, Belgium and Canada, eliminated Spain and Portugal and stopped only in France. Four years later, the team returns with more experience and options in the squad.
The Atlas Lions are going through their best phase: after the World Cup, they won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last year and at the U20 World Cup in October in Chile, with a victory against Argentina in the final.
From the 21st, the country will also host the African Cup of Nations, an opportunity for supporters – and opponents – to observe the African forces.
Regarding the 2022 team, there is news and losses. Attacking midfielder Ziyech, now 32 years old and one of the highlights of the last edition, has gone through a turbulent cycle, between injuries and club changes. In October, he signed with Wydad Casablanca-MAR, but lost place in the team.
On the other hand, the team of coach Walid Regragui, who remains in charge, beat Brahim Díaz. The Real Madrid attacking midfielder, one of the most technical players in European football, is the Lions’ number 10. Born in Spain, he is one of the fruits of the talent search project of Moroccan origin, launched by the federation in 2010.
During the African Qualifiers, Morocco was the first African team to qualify for the World Cup. El Kaabi (Olympiacos-GRE), 32, who was in 2018 but not in 2022, finished as the team’s top scorer.
Commentator and specialist in African football for CazéTV and the Ponta de Lanza project, Marcus Carvalho highlights the Mohammed VI academy, a training center of excellence opened in 2009 by the local king Mohammed VI, in Rabat, as one of Morocco’s greatest assets on the world stage.
— They have the best football project on the African continent. We can centralize everything in the form of the academy, a study development center and also a recovery center for players who are not doing well. It’s a place where young people study, where they can play championships. The youth teams meet very frequently. There is a whole football identity project defined – he explains.
Four years ago, Morocco presented themselves as a solid team defensively, possessing the technique and speed necessary to attack in transition. Carvalho says that identity endures, but the Lions are very adaptable to games and rivals:
— It’s a team that also knows how to touch the ball and keep possession. In the deepest context of the African continent, we see this characteristic. A team with domination, possession, touch and elaborate plays, the most sustained play. He is capable of doing both.
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