World Cup 2026 Ultimate Guide: Morocco

While Brazil are the clear favourites to top Group C, Morocco should have every reason to believe they can progress to the knockout stages once more, with Scotland and Haiti their other opponents.

That historic semi-final run in Qatar four years ago confirmed the strength of Moroccan football and demonstrated that this is a team capable of competing with virtually anyone. And while replicating the fourth-placed finish they achieved in 2022 will be extremely difficult, Morocco will arrive in North America carrying far greater expectations than those of a mere surprise package.

They are a genuine contender, and their opponents are fully aware of it.

Morocco will arrive at the World Cup with a new head coach, having made a change at the helm only a few months before the tournament.

Mohamed Ouahbi was appointed in early March to lead the Atlas Lions following the dismissal of the man who led them to the semi-finals in 2022 and the AFCON final earlier this year, Walid Regragui.

Born in Belgium, Ouahbi earned the opportunity after an outstanding spell with Morocco’s Under-20s, whom he guided to the U20 World Cup title in 2025, defeating Argentina in the final. Now, only a few months after his appointment, the 49-year-old faces the greatest challenge of his coaching career on football’s biggest stage.

Achraf Hakimi remains, by some distance, Morocco’s brightest star. A key figure for back-to-back European champions Paris Saint-Germain, Hakimi is widely regarded as one of the finest full-backs in world football.

Alongside Hakim Ziyech, the former Inter defender holds the record for the most World Cup appearances by a Moroccan player, with 10 matches played at the tournament. Despite that, he has yet to score at a World Cup.

Hakimi will be hoping to change that when he begins the third World Cup campaign of his career, with his attacking ability as impressive as his defensive stability. His remarkable recovery pace, meanwhile, is among the best on the planet.

Bilal El Khannouss is undoubtedly one of the brightest young talents to watch for Morocco. At just 22 years old, the attacking midfielder has already established himself as a key figure for the Atlas Lions, boasting significant international experience with 36 appearances and three goals for the senior national team.

His breakthrough came during an outstanding season with Stuttgart, where El Khannouss made 41 appearances across all competitions, recording nine goals and seven assists. The playmaker impressed both in the Bundesliga and in the Europa League, where he found the net five times, often in crucial moments.

For Morocco, El Khannouss is typically deployed in his preferred role as a No.10. Blessed with exceptional vision and an ability to deliver incisive passes, he has all the qualities needed to emerge as one of the tournament’s standout revelations.