From AFCON to the 2026 World Cup: Morocco's rise as a global football powerhouse

In just two decades, Morocco has gone from a team routinely eliminated in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and failing to qualify for successive World Cups to a top-10 FIFA-ranked side, a semi-finalist at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and a heavyweight contender for this summer's biggest tournament.

The success of the "Atlas Lions" is not limited to the men's team but spans all age groups and categories. Morocco currently holds the AFCON 2025 title (after Senegal was stripped of its trophy), is the runner-up in WAFCON 2025, champion of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025, champion of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025, winner of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025, champion of the U-17 AFCON 2025, Olympic men's football bronze medalist in 2024, and champion of the AFCON Futsal 2024.

There is no magic formula. According to a source close to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the success rests on three pillars: good governance, financial investment, and capable human resources. "King Mohammed VI outlined this strategy at the 2008 Skhirat Sports Conference, marking the beginning of a long-term national project to develop football," the anonymous source said.

The first pillar was governance reform, including the establishment of a national financial control department, which helped clean up and professionalize the financial structure. Next came massive investment in infrastructure: thousands of local pitches opened to the public, along with the Mohammed VI Complex and the Maamoura Academy (near Rabat), described by some as the best technical center in the world.

This academy has produced many top talents for the men's team, such as defender Nayef Aguerd (Olympique Marseille), midfielder Azzedine Ounahi (Girona), and striker Youssef En-Nesyri (Al-Ittihad).

Another crucial piece was when African federations lobbied FIFA to reform naturalization rules, paving the way for players of African origin born in Europe. Thanks to this, Morocco secured stars like Hakim Ziyech, Nordin Amrabat, and Brahim Diaz.

Most recently, 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille) – one of the brightest young talents in France – chose to play for Morocco, despite Zinedine Zidane (expected to coach France after the World Cup) having contacted him to keep him for "Les Bleus." Tom Yousef Drissi, a passionate supporter, said: "I've never seen such a young and promising player declare for Morocco. Bouaddi probably had a clear path into the French team, but he chose us."

Post-AFCON 2025 Crisis

Despite the upward trajectory, what could derail Morocco at the World Cup is the instability following the AFCON 2025 final. In second-half stoppage time, with the score at 0-0, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a controversial penalty to Morocco. Senegal players walked off in protest, while scuffles broke out in the stands. After a 15-minute delay, Senegal returned to play, Brahim Diaz missed a panenka attempt, and Senegal won in extra time.

At the post-match press conference, the first question to coach Walid Regragui was: "Will you resign tonight or tomorrow morning?" Regragui brushed it aside but resigned a few weeks later. The Moroccan football federation appointed Mohamed Ouahbi – who had led the youth team to the U-20 World Cup title with an attacking style – as his replacement.

Journalist Said Abadi, author of A History of African Football, commented: "There are interesting parallels to Walid Regragui in 2022. Ouahbi also took over the team a few months before the World Cup. But you can see that not everything is fully settled yet. Ouahbi is still trying to find a balance between the experienced players from the Regragui era and the new generation. A complete overhaul is impossible in this time frame."

Many are questioning whether Regragui's pragmatic style – which helped Morocco remain unbeaten in Qatar while holding less than 50% possession – might be more suited to a World Cup. Can Ouahbi's more adventurous approach maintain the resilience needed in the knockout rounds?

Observers believe that expectations for Morocco at the 2026 World Cup are justified, but that this tournament is only one milestone on the long road to the home World Cup in 2030. A source from the Moroccan federation stated: "Even the 2030 World Cup is not the ultimate goal. It's a milestone to drive the country's broader development in all areas: infrastructure, human capital, transport, and international appeal."