Morocco

Morocco arrive at 2026 as the team that rewrote African football's World Cup narrative. Their extraordinary run to the semi-finals in Qatar 2022 — beating Belgium, Spain and Portugal along the way — was built on Walid Regragui's masterful defensive organisation and an indomitable team spirit that captivated the entire world. Achraf Hakimi remains one of football's elite full-backs, combining blistering pace with pinpoint crossing from his Paris Saint-Germain role. Sofyan Amrabat provides tireless energy and tactical intelligence in midfield, while Hakim Ziyech's creative genius and Youssef En-Nesyri's aerial prowess give the Atlas Lions genuine attacking threat. The squad's greatest strength is its defensive solidity — they conceded just one goal in five matches before the 2022 semi-final, and that structure remains intact. With players scattered across Europe's top leagues and a diaspora fanbase that transforms every stadium into a home crowd, Morocco are no longer underdogs. As future 2030 World Cup co-hosts, the Atlas Lions carry the weight of African football on their shoulders and the belief to challenge any team in the tournament.