British Mirror daily is upbeat about Morocco’s national football team in the FIFA World Cup 2026, saying the Atlas Lions mindset has changed and could go further than 2022 World Cup semi-final.
If an African team is to go deep into this World Cup, it would be hard to look past the Atlas Lions as the most likely candidates, said the newspaper, recalling their stunning performance in Qatar World Cup.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Morocco were ranked as the 22nd best national team in the FIFA World Rankings. They went into the tournament hoping to reach the last 16. Instead, they beat Spain, Belgium and Portugal reaching the semi-finals, becoming the first African team to reach the last four.
They also become Africa Cup of Nations champions for the second time in 2025 and won the U20 World Cup, said the Mirror, noting that no African team has ever looked more likely to win the World Cup.
As a nation of 36 million people, Morocco is only the 12th largest country in Africa, but they are dominating in both the men’s and women’s game on the continent.
Alongside the Atlas Lions in Group C are Haiti, Scotland and 5-time champions Brazil, who will likely provide Morocco’s toughest test, under Carlo Ancelotti. They last met in a friendly in March 2023, when Morocco defeated the Selecao 2-1 in Rabat.
Morocco Head coach Mohammed Ouahbi has begun his coaching career with Anderlecht’s academy. He led Morocco U20 team to World Cup victory over Argentina.
Ouahbi, who took over from Walid Regraui at the helm of the senior team last March, has decided to select nine Atlas Lions who made history by reaching the semi-finals of Qatar 2022. Among them are goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Nayef Aguerd, Sofyan Amrabat and Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s captain and PSG’s star.
Brahim Diaz, Real Madrid star, the 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui and other key players are all highly motivated to rise to the challenge.
