What Morocco did in Qatar was supposed to be a one-off. Group winners over Belgium and Croatia, knockout wins against Spain and Portugal, a semi-final spot no African or Arab nation had ever reached. Three and a half years on, the squad has been quietly preserved, the manager is the same, and the question following them across the Atlantic is the one nobody on the team is shy about: can they do it again?
The run that changed everything
What made the 2022 run remarkable was not just the result. It was the way Morocco won — by being the most disciplined defensive unit in the tournament. Yassine Bounou's goal stayed shut for hundreds of minutes against some of the best attacks on the planet. The block ahead of him moved like a single body. The transitions were vicious. Even in the semi-final loss to France, Morocco out-shot Les Bleus and spent the second half pinning the eventual champions in their own half.
The team that did all that is largely the team boarding the plane this June. Achraf Hakimi at right-back, Romain Saïss and Nayef Aguerd in the centre of defence, Sofyan Amrabat in midfield, Hakim Ziyech in a free attacking role, Youssef En-Nesyri up top. Walid Regragui is still in the dugout. The continuity is the asset.
What is different this time
Two things. The first is age. Morocco was a youngish side in 2022; most of the core is now in or approaching their peak years, which is good news physically but raises the question of whether the all-action defensive style can be repeated across a tournament that might run a round longer thanks to the new 48-team format. The group-stage minutes are the same as 2022, but a knockout run now includes a Round of 32 before the Round of 16 — one extra game, played in a North American summer.
The second is the attacking depth. The 2022 team was thin going forward and scored exactly six goals in seven games — a remarkable conversion rate that depended on set pieces and counters more than sustained possession. The 2026 squad has more options: Brahim Díaz finally committed to Morocco, Bilal El Khannouss has emerged as a genuine creator, and Eliesse Ben Seghir gives Regragui another wide threat. If anything, the squad is now too talented for its old identity. Whether the staff can balance the new firepower with the old defensive shape is the central tactical question.
The schedule and the group
Morocco enters the draw as a Pot 2 side — the seeding earned by ranking, not geography — which means they avoid the Pot 1 monsters (Argentina, France, Brazil, Spain, England, Germany, USA, Mexico, Canada and a few others depending on the seeded order). They will still draw one top seed in the group; that match plus a tricky Pot 3 opponent are the games that decide whether the top-two spot is comfortable or contested.
Realistically, Morocco should expect to top a group again if the draw is reasonable. The 2022 run started exactly that way. Where it gets interesting is the knockouts: the new format funnels group winners into one half of the bracket, group runners-up into another, and the eight best third-place finishers fill the gaps. Reaching another semi-final means winning three knockout games — one more than last time.
The Hakimi factor
Every great Morocco performance starts with Hakimi's right side. He gives Regragui defensive cover and an attacking outlet from the same position, lets the wide forward in front of him drift inside, and provides the set-piece delivery that has been a quiet weapon since Qatar. He has been arguably the best right-back in the world for two seasons running and is the closest thing Morocco has to a player who can decide a knockout game on his own.
What success looks like
- Floor: Round of 16. Anything less would feel like a step back from 2022, and the standard has been set.
- Expected: Quarter-final. With the squad intact and one extra knockout game in the format, the last eight is the most plausible end point.
- Dream: Another semi-final, or further. A second straight last-four would shift the conversation from miracle to consistent contender.
FAQ
Who is Morocco's coach? Walid Regragui, the architect of the 2022 run, is still in charge. His contract runs through 2026 and the federation has shown no interest in changing course.
Is Hakim Ziyech still playing for Morocco? Yes. After a brief retirement rumour cycle, Ziyech returned to the squad and is expected to be in the final 26. His role may be reduced from 2022 but he remains a key creative option off the bench.
Where will Morocco play their group games? Group-stage matches are spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Specific venues are assigned after the group draw. Live fixtures and team news track on Scorelisto's soccer page, with deeper analysis across our World Cup blog coverage.