The Moroccan national football team landed Sunday at the Rabat-Salé Airport, coming from Boston, where their 2026 World Cup journey ended in the quarter-finals in 2-0 defeat to France.
The Atlas Lions departed the United States with their heads held high, as they have once again carried the hopes of the Moroccan nation and sympathizers from across the world into football’s biggest tournament.
For the second consecutive World Cup, Morocco were the last African nation standing, reinforcing the view that their breakthrough run to the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022 was no accident.
In the 2026 tournament, the Atlas Lions had ended the group stage phase in the second place with 7 points, edged out on goal difference by group leaders Brazil, following a draw against the Seleção (1-1) and two victories against Scotland (1-0) and Haiti (4-2).
Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad had then qualified for the round of 16 by defeating the Netherlands (1-1 at full time and AET, 3-2 after penalties), before making their way to the quarter-final round, handing Canada a 3-0 defeat.
During this World Cup, which was the first edition with 48 teams, Morocco was the only African and Arab national team that reached the quarters, ending the tournament among the 8 best footballing nations.
So, by reaching the last eight again, the Atlas Lions established themselves as one of the most consistent forces in international football and confirmed their place among the global elite.
For the Atlas Lions, led by a coach appointed only shortly before the tournament and buoyed by a remarkable run of victories, the message was that Morocco’s rise is no longer a surprise story. It is rather a new global football reality.
