Morocco's Historic World Cup Participation
The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, providing an exciting opportunity to explore the essential details surrounding the 48 participating teams. Among them, Morocco stands out as a remarkable surprise from the last edition, emerging as a strong contender for the title. Despite not being historically recognized in the annals of World Cup competitions, Morocco's participation in this upcoming event marks only the sixth time the team will compete on this grand stage. Before their commendable journey in Qatar 2022, Morocco's best performance was during the 1986 tournament in Mexico, where they reached the Round of 16, while in previous editions, the team was eliminated in the group stage.
Interestingly, Morocco has qualified for every World Cup held in Mexico. Their inaugural appearance at this tournament was in 1970, but after missing the next three editions, they returned to the competition in 1986. The Atlas Lions also participated in the 1994 World Cup in the United States, the 1998 tournament in France, the 2018 edition in Russia, and most recently in Qatar. Now, they are set to return to Mexico for yet another edition of the championship.
Morocco's Stellar Performance and Key Players
During the Qatar World Cup, the Moroccan team achieved its best performance in history, leading its group and advancing to the Round of 16 for the second time ever. However, this time, they went further by eliminating football powerhouses like Spain and Portugal to reach the semifinals. Unfortunately, they were knocked out by France and subsequently lost the third-place match to Croatia. The current Moroccan squad is brimming with talent, featuring standout players such as former Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Real Madrid forward Brahim Díaz, and the top World Cup scorer for the national team, Youssef En-Nesyri. Nonetheless, the most prominent figure is undoubtedly Achraf Hakimi.
Although he plays as a defender, the Moroccan right-back has made a significant impact on the team, establishing himself as its star player. Currently with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Hakimi holds the record for the most World Cup matches played by a Moroccan player. He is also on track to become the second player in history with the most appearances for Morocco after this World Cup. With 93 caps, Hakimi has netted 11 goals and provided 19 assists, making him instrumental in Morocco's recent successes.
Morocco has been drawn into Group C of the World Cup, sharing this stage with Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti. All of their matches will take place on the east coast of the United States, with their longest travel time being just two and a half hours. Throughout their six World Cup participations, Morocco has played a total of 23 matches, with 18 in the group stage and only five in knockout rounds, the most significant of which was the third-place match in Qatar. Overall, the team has achieved five victories, seven draws, and 11 losses, scoring 20 goals while conceding 27. As they head into the 2026 tournament, Morocco aims to secure more victories and etch another historic performance into their legacy.
As reported by record.com.mx.
