Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Squad, Manager, Fixtures & Tournament History

Morocco are back — and they are coming with unfinished business. The FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Canada, Mexico and the United States marks the Atlas Lions' seventh appearance at the tournament and their third in a row, an unprecedented run of consecutive qualifications for the nation. The objective is clear: to show the world that the fourth-place finish at Qatar 2022 was the beginning of something, not a one-off miracle.

With the 2030 World Cup already confirmed as a co-hosted event on Moroccan soil, the nation's footballing ambitions have never been greater. The 2026 tournament is a chance to build the momentum further.

The Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi

Morocco made a significant change in the dugout less than 100 days before the tournament, bringing in Mohamed Ouahbi to replace Walid Regragui in March 2026. The Belgium-born 49-year-old arrives with fresh credentials — most notably guiding Morocco to glory at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025™ in Chile, where his Atlas Cubs defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final. Two of his key players, Othmane Maamma and Yassir Zabiri, were awarded the Golden Ball and Silver Ball respectively, underlining the depth of talent flowing through Moroccan football. Ouahbi also has experience at club level, having previously worked at RSC Anderlecht's acclaimed youth academy where he won the Belgian U-17 Championship in 2018.

His predecessor Regragui had written his name into history. Appointed in August 2022, he led Morocco to the World Cup semi-finals just months into his tenure — the first African nation ever to reach that stage. His side then became the first Arab nation to beat Brazil, claiming a 2-1 friendly victory in March 2023. A disappointing AFCON exit in 2023 was followed by a near-miss at the 2025 edition on home soil, where Morocco fell to a 1-0 defeat against Senegal in the final. Regragui's legacy, though, is secure.

Morocco's 2026 World Cup Fixtures & Group

13 June: Brazil v Morocco – New York New Jersey Stadium

19 June: Scotland v Morocco – Boston Stadium

24 June: Morocco v Haiti – Atlanta Stadium

How Morocco Qualified

The Atlas Lions were the first African side to confirm their place at the 2026 finals, sealing top spot in CAF Group E with a dominant 5-0 victory over Niger on 5 September. It was a qualification campaign that reflected the growing assurance of a team that now expects to be at the biggest tournaments, not just hope to qualify for them.

Morocco's World Cup Record

Confederation

CAF

Best Finish

Semi-finals (2022)

Last Appearance

Qatar 2022 (Semi-finals)

First Appearance

Mexico 1970 (Group stage)

Total Appearances

7 (1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022, 2026)

Consecutive Qualifications

3

World Cup Hosts

2030

Overall Record

P23 W5 D11 L7 F20 A27

Morocco's First World Cup: Mexico 1970

Morocco represented the entire African continent as the sole qualifier from the region at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Though they exited in the group stage, they made a reasonable account of themselves in Group 4. Their opening match in León against West Germany — one of the tournament favourites — ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat, heartbreakingly close to a draw. A 3-0 loss to Peru was a setback, but they signed off with a creditable 1-1 draw against Bulgaria, Maouhoub Ghazouani equalising on the hour to earn a point. Modest beginnings, but the foundation for something much greater was being laid.

Morocco's Last World Cup: Qatar 2022

Qatar 2022 was the tournament that changed the story of African football. Morocco's run to the semi-finals was one of the most extraordinary achievements in World Cup history, driven by an exceptional collective spirit, tactical discipline and moments of individual brilliance that captivated supporters far beyond their own borders.

They began Group F by holding 2018 runners-up Croatia to a goalless draw, then beat Belgium 2-0 — the bronze medallists from that same Russia edition — before rounding off the group with a 2-1 win over Canada to finish top. The knockout rounds brought even greater scalps: Spain were eliminated on penalties after 120 goalless minutes, and Portugal were beaten 1-0 in the quarter-finals in one of the tournament's great upsets. France, ultimately, proved a step too far — a 2-0 semi-final defeat ending the run — but Morocco had already rewritten the record books, becoming the first African and first Arab nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Morocco's All-Time World Cup Top Scorer

Youssef En-Nesyri leads Morocco's all-time scoring list at the World Cup with three goals. The Fenerbahçe striker made history at Qatar 2022 with a header against Portugal that became one of the most talked-about moments of the tournament — leaping an extraordinary 2.78 metres to power the ball into the net and send Morocco into the semi-finals. Earlier in the same tournament he had also netted in the 2-1 win over Canada. Notably, he also scored against Spain at Russia 2018, making him the first Moroccan to find the net at two separate World Cup editions.

Morocco's Most Capped World Cup Players

Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech jointly hold the record for most World Cup appearances by a Moroccan — and, indeed, any Arab player — with ten caps each, accumulated across Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. Hakimi, one of the world's most dynamic attacking full-backs with Paris Saint-Germain, is still awaiting his first World Cup goal. Ziyech, meanwhile, made his mark in Qatar by scoring against Canada after just three minutes and 30 seconds — the fastest ever World Cup goal scored by an Arab nation.

Morocco's Most Memorable World Cup Moments

The Qatar 2022 run stands above everything else in Moroccan football history, but the country's World Cup story has other chapters worth celebrating. Mexico 1970 holds a special place in the hearts of those who witnessed Morocco's first steps on the global stage. Sixteen years later, at Mexico 1986, a more seasoned side — inspired by the talismanic Aziz Bouderbala — went one better, becoming the first African nation to advance to the knockout phase after topping their group. Their last-16 clash with West Germany was agonisingly close; a Lothar Matthäus free-kick in the 88th minute was all that separated them from a quarter-final berth.

Morocco's Biggest World Cup Win

Morocco's most commanding victory came at France 1998, when they beat Scotland 3-0 in their final group match in Saint-Étienne. The result capped a group campaign that had also produced a 2-2 draw with Norway and a 3-0 defeat to Brazil. Salaheddine Bassir scored twice to lead the rout, but despite the convincing win, Morocco were edged out of the group in third — a single point behind Norway and two behind Brazil. A near-miss, but a performance that showed the quality this team was capable of.