Morocco team profile - FIFA World Cup 2026
In the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada and Mexico, we shine a spotlight on Morocco.
FIFA World Ranking: 8
Confederation: CAF
Who is Morocco’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Morocco have a new manager for this summer with Mohamed Ouahbi having only recently been appointed to replace Walid Regragui in March 2026. His reign began with a 1-1 draw with Ecuador and a 2-1 defeat of Paraguay later that month. Ouahbi has been key to the impressive rise and development of Moroccan football, having been in charge of their U20 side before getting the U23 job in December. He led Morocco to the FIFA U20 World Cup title last year.
Who is Morocco’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi is the captain of the Moroccan national side and has been so since being appointed as the captain of their Olympic side in July 2024 as one of the over-age players playing in Paris.
How many times have Morocco participated in a FIFA World Cup before 2026?
6 – 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022
What is Morocco’s best performance at a FIFA World Cup?
Fourth-place – 2022 (Prior to FIFA World Cup 2022, Morocco had never made it past the Round of 16).
How did Morocco qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?
The last few years has seen Morocco begun to establish themselves as a real international force, having become the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a FIFA World Cup when they did so in Qatar in 2022 – defeating Belgium, Portugal and Spain on their way to the final four.
The Atlas Lions qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026, as the only team in Africa to finish qualification with a 100% record, after finishing top of their group in the first round of CAF qualification. Teams were drawn into nine groups of six with Morocco placed in Group E alongside the likes of Niger, Tanzania and Zambia.
Confirmation of Morocco’s FIFA World Cup qualification came on September 5, 2025 after a 4-0 win over Niger in Rabat.
Who are Morocco’s star players?
Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid) continued his excellent qualifying campaign into the most recent Africa Cup of Nations at the start of this year and he will again be the star attraction for the Atlas Lions in the final third, but there is a fair bit of depth to call upon for Ouahbi.
The Moroccans have a deep squad and a lot of technical attacking talent that shone throughout qualification, such as Real Madrid man Brahim, as well as Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven) and Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart).
Up-front, the likes of Youssef En-Nesyri (Al Ittihad) and Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos) are the go-to men for now, whilst former Sevilla goalkeeper Bono (Al Hilal) remains a key cog between the sticks.
Who is in Morocco’s group at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Morocco are in Group C, which consists of the following teams:
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
Morocco’s Group C fixtures are as follows:
Brazil vs Morocco: Saturday June 13, 2026 – 6:00pm ET, 11:00pm UK
Scotland vs Morocco: Friday June 19, 2026 – 6:00pm ET, 11:00pm UK
Morocco vs Haiti: Wednesday June 24, 2026 – 6:00pm ET, 11:00pm UK
All kick-off dates are based on a local kick-off time
Where is Morocco’s base camp at FIFA World Cup 2026?
The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Expert prediction for Morocco’s chances at FIFA World Cup 2026
Morocco are a very strong side and will again expect to go reasonably far in the tournament but teething issues under new management will of course have to be factored in.
Despite the extraordinary success of Ouahbi at youth level, this is now an experienced Moroccan side that know their game inside and out.
The big issue for them is that, in a group alongside five-time world champions Brazil, finishing as runners-up seems likely and that will present an extremely tricky test for the side from Group C as they will face the winners of Group F, which will be either Netherlands, Japan, Sweden or Tunisia.
A North African derby against Tunisia seems unlikely but any of the other three teams will prove to be an extremely tough challenge for a Moroccan side who are likely to regress following their heroics in 2022.
What round will Morocco reach at FIFA World Cup 2026? Round of 32
