First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco climbed to a historic sixth place in the live FIFA rankings following a 1–1 draw between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Portugal in their opening Group stage match at the 2026 World Cup in Houston. The result allowed the Atlas Lions to achieve their best ranking ever, moving up one spot in the […]
A Moroccan security delegation joined international counterparts at the International Police Cooperation Center (CCPI) in Leesburg, Virginia, as part of ongoing coordination efforts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, highlighting Rabat’s growing role in global security cooperation around major sporting events. The delegation, composed of officials from Morocco’s national police and domestic intelligence agencies DGSN […]
Tunisia has dismissed its head coach Sabri Lamouchi following a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The decision, announced on June 16, 2026, came just one game into the tournament, with the Tunisian Football Federation confirming that an agreement had been reached to terminate his contract. […]
King Mohammed VI sent a message of congratulations to Moroccan kickboxer Mohamed Touchassie, who was crowned world light heavyweight champion at the “Glory Collision 9” kickboxing event, held in the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The King extended his warm congratulations to Mohamed Touchassie for his title and commended the kickboxer for his sincere patriotism […]
The World football governing body has changed its press conference translation rules just a day after awkward viral moments following exchanges between captain of Moroccan football team Achraf Hakimi and journalists prior to Morocco-Brazil clash. A clip spread on social media after a FIFA official denied a Mexican journalist from asking a question in Spanish […]
The Atlas Lion Ismail Saibari, who scored Morocco’s first goal during 2026 World Cup Group against Brazil, will join Bayern Munich under €55 million transfer agreement reached between his Dutch PSV Eindhoven club and the German champions. According to press reports, the 25-year Moroccan attacking midfielder will undergo medical tests in the United States and […]
Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has drawn widespread praise from international media after a commanding performance in his side’s 1-1 World Cup draw against Brazil, with several outlets describing the teenager as one of the tournament’s early breakout stars. The 18-year-old, making his first major international appearance, emerged as a central figure in global coverage of […]
Morocco lent its weight to a group of football federations from Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo and Haiti, which jointly criticised UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin over remarks on the expansion of the FIFA World Cup, saying his comments downplayed the significance of participation for smaller nations. In a statement issued on Sunday, the five federations […]
Morocco’s growing stature in African and global football is the result of sustained performances and long-term investment rather than political influence or behind-the-scenes leverage, the head of the country’s football federation Fouzi Lekjaa said. Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), was quoted as saying in an interview with Al Jazeera network […]
The success of Moroccan football is not fortuitous but the result of a royal strategy leading to a network of sprawling, modern soccer academies, including the Mohammed VI Football Academy tasked with developing domestic talent from a young age. In a story published on the rise of Morocco into a global football powerhouse, the American […]