RABAT: Morocco head into Friday’s FIFA World Cup draw in Washington brimming with confidence, determined to build on their trailblazing run to the semifinals in Qatar 2022 and prove their rise is no accident.
The Atlas Lions stunned the world three years ago, becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the last four of a World Cup after eliminating Spain and Portugal before falling to France.
Coach Walid Regragui, who masterminded that historic feat, said the challenge now was to sustain success. “Qatar was not a miracle,” Regragui told Moroccan state television. “It was the fruit of a long-term plan. At 2026, we want to go further. We have the talent, the mentality and the experience.”
Morocco’s ambitions rest on two pillars: a thriving youth system and a squad stacked with international stars. Achraf Hakimi, a Champions League regular with Paris Saint-Germain, headlines a group that includes Hakim Ziyech, Sofyan Amrabat and Youssef En-Nesyri — all playing at the highest level in Europe.
Rising talents such as Abde Ezzalzouli and Bilal El Khannouss add depth and dynamism.
Morocco’s youth program has delivered unprecedented success. Coach Mohamed Wahbi guided his team to a historic FIFA Under-20 World Cup triumph in October, when they beat Argentina 2-0 in the final to become the first Arab nation to lift the trophy.
The under-17 side reached the quarter-finals of their World Cup, while the under-23 team claimed the Africa Cup of Nations and secured a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they went on to win bronze.
“The pressure is already there – all of Morocco wants the Africa Cup,” Wahbi told Al Arabiya TV, referring to this month’s continental tournament on home soil. “Winning the youth World Cup won’t add pressure on Regragui, it will motivate him. Everyone sees Morocco today as a leader in African football, and that’s the result of a clear project.”
Morocco’s football vision aligns with its global ambitions. The kingdom will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
“Hosting 2030 is a responsibility and an opportunity,” said Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. “But first, 2026 is about proving that Morocco belongs among the elite.”
Morocco look to youth and experience to prove Qatar World Cup success was no fluke
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Morocco look to youth and experience to prove Qatar World Cup success was no fluke
- “Qatar was not a miracle,” Regragui told Moroccan state television
- “It was the fruit of a long-term plan. At 2026, we want to go further. We have the talent, the mentality and the experience“
Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz gets Champions League ban cut after reckless foul on PSG’s Achraf Hakimi
- UEFA said Friday that Díaz’s appeal on the charge of “serious rough play” was upheld
- That means he still misses Bayern’s Champions League game at home to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday
NYON: Bayern Munich forward Luis Díaz has had his three-game Champions League ban reduced to two on appeal following his reckless foul on Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi.
UEFA said Friday that Díaz’s appeal on the charge of “serious rough play” was upheld, without specifying why.
That means he still misses Bayern’s Champions League game at home to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday but he can return against Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise next month.
Díaz scored twice before being sent off in an eventful 2-1 win against PSG last month. He made a wild lunge from behind and Hakimi’s left leg appeared to be momentarily trapped before he fell.
Díaz still has to serve more than the mandatory minimum one-game sanction for a red card, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo.
In an unusual decision last month, FIFA gave the Portuguese superstar a three-game ban, but with two suspended for a probationary period, over a serious foul-play incident against Ireland last month. That means he will likely avoid missing any games at the start of his record sixth World Cup next year.
