Morocco Prepares for the 2026 World Cup with a Strong Squad
In an exciting announcement, Achraf Hakimi, the prominent player from Paris Saint-Germain, has been named among nine members of Morocco's historic squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The Moroccan national team, under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who took the reins in March, has largely tapped into the Moroccan diaspora residing in Europe, where many of the selected 26 players were born.
Coach Ouahbi himself hails from Belgium, and he has included notable players such as Hakimi and Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz, both of whom were born in Spain but have familial ties that make them eligible to play for Morocco. In a strategic move to strengthen the squad, three players — Fulham defender Issa Diop, PSV Eindhoven's Anass Salah-Eddine, and 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi — received FIFA approval for a change in national eligibility over the past nine months. Díaz has been part of the Moroccan team since 2024, following his prior representation of Spain.
Morocco's Ambitious World Cup Journey
Morocco will establish its base in New Jersey, where they will kick off their World Cup campaign against Brazil on June 13 in East Rutherford. Following this, they are set to face Scotland in Massachusetts and conclude Group C against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta. The top two teams from the group will advance directly to the knockout stage, with the possibility for a third-place team to qualify as well.
The Moroccan team made history in the 2022 World Cup, becoming the first African semi-finalist, under the previous coach Walid Regragui. They led their group ahead of Croatia and Belgium, and made headlines by eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds, before succumbing to France in the semi-finals due to injuries within the squad. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who was a standout player in Qatar, returns for his third World Cup at the age of 35.
As they head to the United States, Morocco will arrive as the current African champion, although this title could be contested in the coming months at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as Senegal has appealed to reclaim their victory achieved on the field in January against Morocco. After losing to Senegal in the final four months ago, Regragui stepped down, and Ouahbi, who guided Morocco to the Under-20 World Cup title last year by defeating Argentina, has taken over. Notably, Ouahbi has once again called up Strasbourg forward Gessime Yassine.
In addition to competing in 2026, Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, as well as South American neighbors Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the original host in 1930.
The squad includes a diverse range of talent such as goalkeepers Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal), Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane), and Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (AS FAR), defenders like Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United) and Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), midfielders including Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis) and Azzedine Ounahi (Girona), as well as forwards such as Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis) and Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland).
As reported by wfmz.com.
