The Morocco FIFA World Cup 2026 brings Atlas Lions to the tournament, making them one of the most captivating teams in the world of football. The North African giants will once again be the bearers of the dreams of an entire continent, when they head to the United States in June to compete for the 8th place in the FIFA rankings and their highest ever result in the history of the organization. But with a major coaching switch-up among the teams just weeks before the tournament, every football fan will wonder whether Morocco can overcome their streak of making it to the semi-final of their nation's greatest ever run.
Morocco are currently ranked #8 in the FIFA World Rankings, which currently ranks them as the top non-European or South American team in the world. The team's nickname is Atlas Lions and they enter the 2026 World Cup with a clean sheet following a perfect qualification campaign but under new management.
In early March 2026, the beloved coach resigned, having engineered Morocco's 2022 World Cup fairy tale. His pragmatic approach was further highlighted after being met with controversy when Senegal, who had been defeated 1-0 in the AFCON 2025 final on their home turf, suffered from crowd trouble and a disallowed penalty during the game.
On March 5, 2026 the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) named former Morocco's U-20 coach Mohamed Ouahbi to replace him. Ouahbi is no typical manager; he has never worked with a senior national team before, but he has an impressive resume. The 49-year-old Belgian-Moroccan had seven years at Anderlecht's youth academy, developing such talents as Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, and led Morocco's U-20 team to a breathtaking victory over Argentina in the Chile final of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Former José Mourinho assistant Joao Sacramento and home-grown Youssouf Hadji are among the likes of top European talent who have joined Ouahbi on staff.
Ouahbi's playing style is one built around attacking intent, vertical passing and quick transitions; a far cry from Regragui's defensive maturity in Qatar. The new coach is anticipated to bring out a more fluid iteration of the Atlas Lions with players such as Achraf Hakimi offering explosive width and Brahim Diaz for creativity.
Morocco has a dominance streak in the World Cup. The Atlas Lions faced off in Group E of the CAF (African) qualifiers with Congo, Niger, Tanzania, Zambia and Eritrea.
They ran off an unblemished qualifying record, winning all eight of their group games and ending with a 100% record - Morocco's first-ever perfect World Cup qualification record.
Key Qualification Statistics:
| Stat | Figure |
| Matches Played | 8 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Draws | 0 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Goals Scored | 27 |
| Goals Conceded | 2 |
| Clean Sheets | 6 |
The final was made when Morocco demolished Niger 5-0 in Rabat, securing a berth in the tournament with two games left to play. A declaration of intent from a team with unfinished business from Qatar 2022.
Youssef En-Nesyri and Ayoub El Kaabi up front, Nayef Aguerd and Achraf Hakimi on the back four and Bilal El Khannous in central midfield were key contributors.
Morocco are group B with five-time world champions Brazil, Scotland (who are also making their World Cup debut in 28 years) and Haiti (who are making their debut in the World Cup for the first time since 1974). The three group stage games of Morocco are all in the eastern United States.
| Date | Match | Venue | City |
| Saturday, June 13, 2026 | Brazil vs. Morocco | MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Friday, June 19, 2026 | Scotland vs. Morocco | Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA |
| Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | Morocco vs. Haiti | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, GA |
The tournament opener against Brazil at Morocco's iconic venue MetLife Stadium is one of the marquee fixtures altogether in the group stage. The competition is a high-stakes affair from the get-go between two of the top-10 ranked countries in the world.
Warm up Schedule (confirmed) prior to the tournament:
Morocco has a World Cup history that is one of the finest, covering over half a century of involvement in the tournament.
World Cup Appearances: 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022, 2026 (7 appearances heading into 2026)
Best Finish: Fourth place (2022 Qatar)
First Appearance: Mexico 1970
In all likelihood, Morocco's most important FIFA World Cup chapter was penned in Qatar. The Atlas Lions (who were appointed last week before the tournament) did the unthinkable:
It's still the highest-scoring World Cup run by an African or Arab country.
Morocco finished the first time ever with a clean sweep in a World Cup group in Mexico 1986, ahead of England, Poland and Portugal. It was always a tough 1-0 defeat, although it was good fortune that they actually got eliminated in the Round of 16 by eventual finalists West Germany.
In the group stage of the World Cup at France 1998, Morocco finished strong, beating Scotland 3-0 in the last game. They impressed, but they were beaten down on the goal difference, giving the impression that they could do more than they showed in the final stages.
Club: Paris Saint-Germain | Position: Right Back | Caps: 88+
Achraf Hakimi will be a key figure for the Morocco team if they are to seize the opportunity to go deep in 2026. The PSG right-back is one of the very best defenders in world football — but it's his attacking output that makes him so special. Hakimi is scoring goals from deep with the ability to cross and overlapping runs, making him a very dangerous player. He is the captain of both Morocco and their most recognizable international star.
Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) | Position: Goalkeeper | Caps: 87+
Known as "Bono," Bounou was the hero of Morocco's 2022 penalty shootout against Spain, saving two spot kicks. Now 34, he remains Morocco's undisputed number one and one of the tournament's most experienced and composed shot-stoppers.
Club: Real Madrid/AC Milan | Position: Attacking Midfield/Winger
The dual nationality of Spanish and Moroccan decided to represent Morocco and has since been a creative behemoth. Diaz is expected to be at the heart of Ouahbi's more attack-oriented lineup, as he's fast, technically gifted and can play from the front line.
Club: Genk (Belgium) | Position: Central Midfielder
El Khannous is just in his early 20's, and is already a goalless force in Morocco's midfield. He has an excellent range of passing, pressing consistency and is a strong passer through the midfield, driving forward to make a difference to attack as one of Africa's most exciting midfielders.
Club: Fenerbahce | Position: Centre Forward
Kickback threat En-Nesyri has a lot going for him as Morocco's most reliable threat in the air. He netted one of the most memorable headers of the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-final with Portugal and will arrive 2026 in good club form.
The assets of Morocco are well known: world-class goalkeeper, an attacking right back in the class of the very best, back four defensive firewalls and the technical ability to get the ball up the field on any opponent. With Ouahbi, you'll get a harder attack.
Their goalscoring prowess and defensive consistency (27 goals scored, only 2 conceded in 8 games) are revealed by the numbers they've posted. At least, they're one of the most efficient teams entering the tournament, at least in statistics.
The greatest risk factor is the change in management. This is the first time Ouahbi's working with a senior team and three months is too brief a timescale to establish a new system. There's also an injury to Hakim Ziyech, who missed out on qualifying, but his absence has left a creative void that has yet to be addressed.
One of the most interesting groups in the tournament is Morocco's Group C. Brazil comes in with the advantage of being the most favoured choice of the group, both in terms of ranking and pedigree, but Morocco (ranked 8th in the world) are well positioned to be first in group stage with second place and progress to the knockouts, where their structure will prove to be formidable.
The possibility of a dark horse contender is not out of the question. The combination of European club football's best Africa and the fuel of a football-crazed country hosting the 2030 World Cup is sure to create another juicy stretch.
If you're a Filipino football enthusiast looking to catch the action, OKBet is a reliable sportsbook that has you covered with fixtures, odds changes, and previews of the games of the FIFA World Cup 2026. OKBet aims to encourage safer gambling habits and offers a secure platform for football fans to experience the world's largest football tournament. Always bet responsibly.
Morocco's journey to the p is a story of continuity, ambition, and reinvention. From their perfect campaign to qualify for the CAF, to their last-minute coach change, the Atlas Lions have been making news for a while. Now ranked 8th in the world and brought in against an intriguing Group C race of Brazil, Scotland and Haiti, they have a point to prove and the ability to prove it in North America.
Mohamed Ouahbi has a new attacking mind, Achraf Hakimi is in the back, and the team is packed with European club quality meaning Morocco have all the ingredients to go further than ever before in the summer of 2026.
OKBet is the responsible and trusted sports platform for Philippine fans and football lovers all over the world following every twist and turn of the FIFA schedule, all the way to the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
On March 5, 2026, Walid Regragui was replaced by Mohamed Ouahbi as the head coach of Morocco. Ouahbi led the U-20 team to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025 for Morocco.
Morocco advanced to the finals after finishing with a perfect record in the CAF African qualifiers, as they won every match of Group E with 27 goals scored and none conceded in their eight CAF group stage games.
Ayoub El Kaabi is the top international scorer for Morocco, and in recent tournaments has led the African scores. Salahuddin Bassir (1998) and Youssef En-Nesyri (2022) are among the prominent players who helped score many goals in the World Cup.
Morocco will begin their campaign on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM ET against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Morocco's best result at the FIFA World Cup has been finishing fourth, in 2022 Qatar.
PSG's world class right back and captain Achraf Hakimi is the most crucial player for the Moroccan side as they head towards the 2026 tournament.
The Atlas Lions roar once again. The world is watching you!
