Morocco are preparing for their seventh FIFA World Cup appearance and their third consecutive qualification.
After becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals at Qatar 2022, the Atlas Lions now head to FIFA World Cup 2026™ determined to prove that historic run was no accident.
With the country also preparing to co-host the 2030 tournament, football excitement across Morocco continues to grow stronger than ever.
Mohamed Ouahbi became Morocco head coach in March 2026, replacing Walid Regragui less than 100 days before the tournament.
The Belgium-born coach earned major recognition after leading Morocco’s U-20 side to victory at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025™.
Under Ouahbi, Morocco defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final, while young stars Othmane Maamma and Yassir Zabiri won the adidas Golden Ball and Silver Ball awards.
Before joining the national setup, Ouahbi also coached at Anderlecht’s academy, where he won the Belgian U-17 Championship.
Morocco dominated Group E in CAF qualifying and became the first African nation to secure qualification for FIFA World Cup 2026™.
The Atlas Lions confirmed their place with a commanding 5-0 victory over Niger on 5 September.
Their qualification campaign once again highlighted Morocco’s growing strength and consistency on the international stage.
Morocco made their FIFA World Cup debut at Mexico 1970 as Africa’s sole representative.
Although they exited in the group stage, the Atlas Lions impressed with their fighting spirit.
After defeats against West Germany and Peru, Morocco earned a memorable 1-1 draw against Bulgaria thanks to Maouhoub Ghazouani’s equaliser.
Qatar 2022 became the greatest World Cup campaign in African football history.
Morocco topped a group containing Croatia, Belgium and Canada before eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout stage.
The Atlas Lions became the first African nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final.
Although France ended their dream in the final four, Morocco earned worldwide respect for their organisation, defensive discipline and fearless mentality.
Youssef En-Nesyri is Morocco’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with three goals.
His most famous strike came against Portugal at Qatar 2022, where he leapt 2.78 metres to head home the winner in the quarter-finals.
En-Nesyri also became the first Moroccan player to score in two different World Cup tournaments.
Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech share Morocco’s World Cup appearance record with ten matches each.
Their achievements also represent the highest World Cup appearance total among all Arab nations.
Ziyech additionally holds the record for the fastest World Cup goal scored by an Arab player after netting just three minutes and 30 seconds into Morocco’s match against Canada at Qatar 2022.
Morocco’s unforgettable journey at Qatar 2022 remains the greatest moment in the nation’s football history.
However, another historic achievement came at Mexico 1986 when the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to reach the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.
They topped their group before narrowly losing 1-0 to West Germany in the Round of 16 after a late Lothar Matthaus free-kick.
Morocco’s biggest World Cup victory came at France 1998 when they defeated Scotland 3-0.
Salaheddine Bassir scored twice in a dominant performance that remains one of Morocco’s finest displays on the global stage.
Despite the victory, Morocco narrowly missed out on qualification for the knockout rounds.
After rewriting football history at Qatar 2022, Morocco arrive at FIFA World Cup 2026™ carrying the hopes of Africa and the Arab world once again.
The Atlas Lions now aim to prove that their rise among football’s elite is only just beginning.
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