Morocco — World Cup 2026 Squad & Fixtures

Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022, beating Belgium 2-0, Spain on penalties, and Portugal 1-0 before losing 2-0 to France and falling to Croatia 2-1 in the third-place match. That run was built on defensive discipline, Morocco conceded only one own goal in their first five matches, and the goalkeeping of Yassine Bounou. Their only previous knockout-stage appearance came in 1986, when they finished top of a group containing England, Poland, and Portugal before losing to West Germany. Six World Cup appearances across five decades now include two knockout runs that have reshaped how the world rates African football.

Morocco qualified through the CAF pathway with a campaign that secured their place as Africa's strongest side: unbeaten in a group that included Zambia and Tanzania, with a goal difference that reflected their dominance. Walid Regragui's squad is almost entirely Europe-based, with players developed in France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium who chose to represent Morocco. The 2022 semi-final run has changed the programme's expectations: qualification is no longer the goal, it is the baseline.

Morocco's 2022 run proved they can beat elite European sides in knockout matches, but repeating that feat requires the same defensive discipline and the same goalkeeping heroics, neither of which is guaranteed. Group H pairs them with Ghana, Norway, and Panama, a section where topping the group is expected, and where Morocco's defensive structure should limit the goals they concede. The knockout round is where Regragui's side will be measured: reaching the quarter-finals again would confirm 2022 was not a fluke, and anything less will feel like regression.

Achraf Hakimi overlaps from right-back with a frequency that makes him Morocco's primary attacking outlet: his pace on the flank and delivery into the box create chances that the central forwards depend on. Yassine Bounou makes saves in tournament conditions that elevate Morocco's defensive record beyond what the back four produces on its own: his penalty-shootout performance against Spain in 2022 was the tournament's decisive individual contribution.