Teams
Morocco were the surprise package in the Qatar World Cup 4 years ago when they made it all the way to the semi finals, defeating Spain and Portugal along the way before finally being ousted by France. As one of the cohosts of the World Cup in four years time, they will not need to undergo the grueling African qualification campaign until at least 2031. They did however make light work of qualifying for this summer’s tournament, winning all eight of their games to become the only side in African qualifying with a 100% win record. They hosted the African Cup of Nations in 2025, and conceded just one goal all the way to the final where they faced Senegal. Controversy surrounded the final, and though Senegal won 1-0 on the night, the match was actually awarded to Morocco two months later, meaning that Morocco picked up their second ever AFCON title. They will be looking to carry this momentum into the World Cup this summer.
Hakimi is without doubt the star player in a strong Morocco side, and the Paris Saint Germain defender will captain his nation with high expectations and should become the second most capped player for Morocco this summer. He finished sixth in Ballon D’Or voting in 2025, the highest ranked defender in the shortlist, to establish himself as one of the best in the world in his position. Morocco conceded twice in their qualifying campaign and once, officially, over the entire African Cup Of Nations last year, and his leadership at the back will be decisive in Morocco’s progression in the tournament this year.
