2026 World Cup national team profile: Moroccan team awaits to write another miracle

Four years ago, the Moroccan team made history at the World Cup for all of Africa in Qatar, when they won resoundingly against Spain and Portugal in the knockout round, becoming the first team of this continent to reach the semi-finals.

Previously, the "Atlas lions" - the team's nickname - only once passed the group stage (in 1986) and never went further than the round of 16. The big question now is whether they can prove that the achievements at the 2022 World Cup are not temporary or not.

At the 2026 World Cup, the Moroccan team is in Group C with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti. With being ranked 8th in the world, with many stars in the squad such as Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz, the Moroccan team is highly expected in this year's tournament.

Journey to the World Cup

In the qualifiers, the Moroccan team won all 8/8 matches, scored 22 goals and conceded only 2 goals. They are at the top of the group, 9 points ahead of the team behind them, Niger. The Moroccan team always knows how to overcome opponents, from narrow 1-0 victories to 5-0 big wins.

Mohamed Ouahbi

Walid Regragui - the coach who helped the Moroccan national team reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup - resigned in early March 2026, emphasizing that his team needs a "new face and a different energy source".

His successor is Mohamed Ouahbi, although he has never been the head coach of the national team before, has spent 18 years leading youth teams at the giant Belgian club Anderlecht - where Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku grew up - and once coached the Moroccan U20 team to win the FIFA U20 World Cup 2025.

Playing style

The Moroccan team is not the type of team that controls the match by passing the ball so much that the opponent is exhausted. Their priority when they have the ball is to quickly bring it to dangerous areas. When Hakimi is in the squad, wide runs and overlapping wing become extremely important.

When without the ball, Morocco is expected to maintain a disciplined defensive formation. In general, in the group stage, the African team is likely to play in many different styles. They will actively attack, imposing on Haiti and Scotland - teams that are underestimated and play tightly against Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil.

Star

The Moroccan team is fortunate to have one of the best full-backs in the world, Hakimi, guarding the right wing. The 2025 Champions League champion is a source of goals and admirable attacking creativity, famous for his non-stop sprints.

Prediction

The achievement at the 2022 World Cup poses a major challenge for the Moroccan team that may be repeated in this year's tournament. However, passing the group stage of the 2026 World Cup is now the minimum to achieve, especially in the open format, where most of the third-placed teams will advance.

Of course, that increases pressure, but coach Ouahbi is leading a talented team, which can be said to have better technique than the team that his predecessor had achieved many successes with. The first match with Brazil was a difficult start, but with a squad of 9 players who have participated in the 2022 World Cup, the Moroccan team knows how to face challenges. In the two matches after that against Scotland and Haiti, Morocco could completely win 6 points.

Next is the issue of the ability to face stronger opponents - round 32 is feasible, round 16 is completely possible. If going further, the Moroccan team can dream of a miracle at the 2026 World Cup.