are on one other fairytale World Cup run – even when their newest win over was much less magnificence and extra beast.
The north African aspect weren’t fairly in 3-0 of their spherical of 16 assembly in Houston.
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Morocco gained regardless of having simply 5 efforts on objective – the fewest by a staff who gained a World Cup knockout match on report – and the primary half was the primary in World Cup historical past with extra yellow playing cards than photographs.
However Morocco got here via, and because the cliché goes, the mark of an important staff is that they know tips on how to win ugly.
And now we should regard Morocco as an important staff, and an actual contender to win this World Cup.
They aren’t solely unbeaten on this World Cup, however of their final 34 matches throughout all competitions.
Whereas that report does carry an asterisk because it consists of in opposition to – a win rewarded retroactively to Morocco and being challenged in court docket – it’s spectacular nonetheless.
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Not since a 1-0 loss to Kenya in August 2025 within the African Nations Championship – a match solely for gamers in Africa’s home leagues – have the misplaced a match.
And after the primary quarter-hour in Texas, they by no means appeared like shedding this sport.
Canada had two early possibilities, with Moroccan keeper saving from and , whereas the Atlas Lions didn’t have a contact within the opposition field for the primary quarter of an hour for the second successive fixture.
However as soon as Morocco settled, they firmly took management of the sport. As Canada supervisor Jesse Marsch mentioned afterwards: “They have been bending a bit of bit however they did not break.”
Morocco’s 4 World Cup knockout wins is as many as Cameroon, Senegal, and mixed [Getty Images]Are Morocco critical World Cup contenders?
In a gathering of two sides at the moment blessed by golden generations of expertise, it was the Moroccans who shone.
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For Canada, injured was helpless on the bench as Morocco neutralised Stephen Eustaquio’s harmful passing and squeezed star striker Jonathan David out of the sport.
In the meantime, Morocco captain , arguably the world’s greatest proper again, was a continuing menace each on the ball and within the Canadian gamers’ faces, whereas artistic fulcrum claimed two assists. He now has 4 in World Cups – probably the most of any African participant.
“The primary half was very intense,” Morocco supervisor Mohamed Ouahbi instructed his post-match media convention.
“There have been a number of changes to be made at half-time. We have been by no means secure from strain.
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“What issues is we did not change our identification, we did not change our sport philosophy. There have been a number of concepts being thrown round and we took one of the best one.
“We’re enjoying the World Cup which suggests there might be troublesome moments. What issues is when we’re not at our greatest, now we have to be resilient. Now we have to recollect who we’re enjoying for and what we’re enjoying for.”
It was greater than sufficient to take Morocco to a second successive males’s World Cup quarter-final, progressing via 5 matches as they did in .
Morocco have now gained 4 World Cup knockout matches – two in 2022, two in 2026 – which is as many as all different African nations mixed.
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Yet another win, and they’re going to have formally matched their displaying on the 2022 World Cup, the place they grew to become the primary African nation ever to achieve the semi-finals.
So Morocco are contenders, though there stays a sense they haven’t been examined to their full capabilities but.
They impressed in drawing with of their opening sport, earlier than contrasting wins over and – the primary a hard-fought slog following a objective inside two minutes, the latter a frenetic 4-2 in opposition to free-wheeling, already eradicated foes.
Within the spherical of 32, they have been the higher staff in opposition to however wanted a stoppage-time header to keep away from elimination. Then in opposition to Canada they have been ultimately comfy, but it surely was not a high-quality win to assuage doubters forward of a attainable assembly with within the final eight.
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‘There are more durable exams to return’
Morocco will play their 2026 quarter-final in Boston at 21.00 BST on Thursday, 9 July [Getty Images]
“Morocco have been simply not at their best, and there are more durable exams to return,” mentioned BBC 5 Stay pundit Chris Sutton. “They stunned me with their lethargy at the beginning. I do not know whether or not there was a little bit of vanity in dismissing the Canada staff. One thing was amiss with their efficiency.
“Morocco have been by no means going to carry out as badly within the second half. The longer the sport went on, the stronger they grew to become.
“They’re devastating on the counterattack. But when France get via and Morocco carry out like they did within the first half in opposition to a staff like France, they are going to be crushed.”
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But there isn’t a query that this Moroccan aspect have a greater likelihood to change into Africa’s first ever world champions than another aspect in historical past.
Morocco’s success isn’t in a single day. The one factor underpinning the North Africans’ success has been long-term funding backed by the nation’s King Mohammed VI.
An academy and $65m (£48.7m) coaching advanced, each bearing his title, opened in 2009 and 2019 respectively and have helped the Atlas Lions set up themselves as Africa’s top-ranked aspect.
“All the things that’s taking place proper now in Moroccan soccer is because of Mohammed VI,” Ouahbi mentioned. “He has invested loads in the previous couple of years, particularly this academy.”
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After reaching three out of 4 World Cups between 1986 and 1998, Morocco went 20 years with out qualifying. This funding circled their fortunes and allowed them to recruit gamers from the diaspora overseas – like Hakimi and Diaz, each born in .
It has given Morocco a competitiveness and perception which has change into the blueprint for different African and Arabic nations, and it offers them a unique aura to 4 years in the past.
“It is not a shock, we’re now not a shock as of right this moment,” Ouahbi mentioned. “When folks discuss Morocco they discuss an actual contender, a serious footballing nation and it is an important supply of satisfaction.
“It is solely the start and I hope we will proceed to have comparable World Cup runs for a few years. We wish to maintain going, we do not wish to cease.”
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Whereas the run in Qatar was twinged with disbelief, their journey in North America has been infused with function.
A soccer fairytale, this isn’t.