:STATS

:INFO
Africa's finest hour, continued
Morocco arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup not as a novelty but as a proven heavyweight. Ranked eighth in the world and reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions, the Atlas Lions carried the weight of a continent into North America. They drew with Brazil in the group stage, beat Scotland and Haiti, then beat the Netherlands in a dramatic penalty shootout before dismantling Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16. The reward is a quarterfinal against France in Boston on July 9, a rematch of the 2022 semi-final that Morocco lost 2-0. This time the Atlas Lions arrive with a point to prove and a team built to compete at this level.


:MAP
25.7617,-80.1918,Hard Rock Stadium. Miami. Group C: Morocco 1-1 Brazil
51.5074,-0.1278,Achraf Hakimi. PSG. Captain and right-back. 27 years old
31.7917,-7.0926,Morocco. Where the Atlas Lions call home
29.9511,-90.0715,Estadio Monterrey. Monterrey. Round of 32: Morocco 1-1 Netherlands AET (win 3-2 pens)
29.6516,-95.4019,NRG Stadium. Houston. Round of 16: Morocco 3-0 Canada
42.0909,-71.2643,Gillette Stadium. Boston. Quarterfinal: Morocco vs France, July 9

:QUOTE [quotetype:plain, subtitle:Mohamed Ouahbi]
We do not fear any opponent. We have already shown what this team is capable of. France know who we are now. They felt it in Qatar.


:NOTE
The 2022 World Cup changed everything. Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach a semi-final, beating Belgium, Spain, and Portugal along the way. That squad built a template: an unbreakable defensive block anchored by Sofyan Amrabat, Hakimi's relentless width, and a collective spirit that made every stadium feel like a home crowd. Walid Regragui, the architect of that run, resigned in March 2026. His successor Mohamed Ouahbi, 49, stepped up from the U20s, having led Morocco to t

:NOTE
Nine players return from the 2022 semi-final squad, including goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, captain Hakimi, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, and forward Brahim Diaz of Real Madrid. The diaspora continues to drive the squad: PSG, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Marseille, and Fulham all feature in the starting XI. Morocco's fanbase transforms every North American host city into a second home, and their supporters were the loudest in the stadium in both Houston and Monterrey.


:NOTE
Ismael Saibari, the Bayern Munich midfielder, arrived as one of the tournament's standout players with three goals before the Round of 16. He suffered a hamstring injury early against Canada and is a significant doubt for the France quarterfinal. His absence would place greater creative responsibility on Brahim Diaz and Bilal El Khannouss, the Stuttgart midfielder who has been growing into the tournament with every match.


:CHECKLIST
What Morocco must do to beat France on July 9
[ ] 1. Maintain defensive shape. Mbappe exploits space behind high lines. Give him none.
[ ] 2. Exploit wide areas. Hakimi against the French left side is Morocco's best weapon.
[ ] 3. Win the midfield battle. Amrabat vs Camavinga will decide the game's tempo.
[ ] 4. Be patient. France are the tournament favourites. Morocco win through attrition.
[ ] 5. Believe the precedent. They have already beaten France's calibre twice in 2022.

:LINK
https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/teams/morocco/squad
Morocco official squad and fixtures at FIFA.com