Atlas Lions Squad, Hakimi & Group C
Morocco World Cup 2026 guide: new coach Mohamed Ouahbi, captain Achraf Hakimi, key players, FIFA ranking, tactics and Group C predictions for the Atlas Lions.
Morocco
The Atlas Lions · CAF · Group CEverything at a glance
- Nickname
- The Atlas Lions
- Confederation
- CAF (Africa)
- FIFA Ranking
- 8th Reached a record-high 8th in January 2026; verify exact position at kickoff
- Head Coach
- Mohamed Ouahbi Appointed March 2026, replacing Walid Regragui
- Captain
- Achraf Hakimi
- World Cup Appearances
- 7th
- Best Finish
- Fourth place 2022
- Group
- Group C Brazil, Haiti, Scotland
The standard-bearers of African and Arab football.
Morocco are the standard-bearers of African and Arab football after their historic run to the semi-finals at Qatar 2022 — the first time any African or Arab nation reached the World Cup’s final four. That campaign, which included wins over Belgium, Spain and Portugal, transformed the Atlas Lions from plucky underdogs into a genuinely respected football power. Heading into 2026, Morocco are ranked among the top eight nations on the planet, a record high for an African side and a marker of how far the program has come.
The team is built largely on a talented European-based diaspora, combining tactical discipline, elite athleticism and individual quality across the pitch. They are no longer a tournament surprise — they are expected to contend.
They are no longer a tournament surprise — they are expected to contend.
A team navigating both continuity and change.
The biggest pre-tournament storyline is on the touchline. Walid Regragui, the architect of the 2022 miracle run, departed in March 2026, and Mohamed Ouahbi was appointed head coach just months before the World Cup. Inheriting a top-eight side and the weight of huge expectations on a compressed timeline is one of the most fascinating sub-plots of Group C. Add to that some bold squad calls — reports indicated established names such as Youssef En-Nesyri and Hakim Ziyech were left out of the final 26 — and you have a team navigating both continuity and change.
The bar, and the dream
After 2022, the bar is high. Morocco should be expected to advance from Group C, even drawn alongside Brazil.
The realistic ceiling
A round-of-16 place is the baseline, with the talent and pedigree to reach the quarter-finals or beyond if Ouahbi quickly stamps his identity on the side. Anything resembling the 2022 run would again be historic — but this time it would be less of a shock.
Ouahbi’s 26-man squad
Based on the announced 26-man squad. Likely starters marked with *. Positional listings are best-effort projections — verify the official sheet.
Goalkeepers
3- Yassine Bounou Al-Hilal
- Munir El Kajoui
- Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti
Defenders
9- Achraf Hakimi PSG · (C)
- Noussair Mazraoui
- Nayef Aguerd
- Issa Diop
- Chadi Riad
- Anas Salaheddine
- Youssef Belamri
- Zakaria El Ouahidi
- Redouane Halhal
Midfielders
7- Sofyan Amrabat Real Betis
- Bilal El Khannous
- Ezzedine Ounahi
- Nael El Aynaoui
- Ayoub Bouadi
- Ismail Sibari
- Samir El Morabit
Forwards
7- Brahim Diaz Real Madrid
- Soufiane Rahimi
- Ayoub El Kaabi
- Chamseddine Talbi
- Abdel Samad Zalzouli
- Ayoub Amimouni
- Yassine Jassim
★ Likely starters.
The names that decide it
One of the best full-backs in world football; explosive pace, attacking thrust and leadership. Fact: a 2025 Champions League winner with PSG and Morocco’s on-field leader.
Silky creator who chose to represent Morocco; adds top-tier club quality and unpredictability in the final third.
Hero of the 2022 run, including penalty heroics; a calm, commanding presence in goal.
Tireless ball-winner who was outstanding in 2022; the engine that lets others create.
Composed, ball-playing defender who anchors the backline.
A rising creative talent representing Morocco’s exciting next generation.
Versatile, technically refined defender who allows tactical flexibility.
Breakout Player
Bilal El Khannous — A gifted young midfielder who could announce himself on the global stage with a strong tournament, embodying the new wave of Moroccan talent coming through Europe’s academies.
Most Underrated Player
Sofyan Amrabat — The defensive midfielder’s selfless, high-volume work rarely makes highlight reels, but his ball recovery and screening were foundational to the 2022 semi-final run and remain vital to how Morocco defend as a unit.
Compactness, athleticism and counter-attacking threat.
Morocco’s recent identity has been built on organised, disciplined defending, low-block resilience against elite opponents, and lightning transitions powered by Hakimi’s overlaps and quick wide players. A back four (or situational back three) with a deep midfield screen lets the front players counter at speed. The new coaching staff may tweak the approach, but expect compactness, athleticism and counter-attacking threat to remain core principles.
By the numbers
Attack: Pace and creativity, though clinical finishing depth is a question after some omissions.
Midfield: Balanced, energetic and tactically intelligent.
Defense: A genuine strength; organised and athletic.
Goalkeeping: Bounou is a big-game keeper.
Depth: Solid pool, deepened by diaspora talent.
Experience: Core of 2022 semi-finalists still present.
Record-breakers in 1986, history-makers in 2022.
Morocco first appeared in 1970 and made history in 1986 by becoming the first African (and Arab) team to reach the knockout stage. After a long wait between appearances, the 2022 campaign rewrote the record books: a fourth-place finish, the best ever by an African or Arab nation, with victories over Belgium, Spain and Portugal en route to the semi-finals. The 2026 tournament marks their seventh appearance.
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1970
World Cup debut
Morocco make their first World Cup appearance.
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1986
First African/Arab team to reach the knockout stage
Morocco topped a group containing England, Portugal and Poland — the first African and Arab nation to advance from the group stage.
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2022
Fourth place — the best World Cup finish by any African or Arab nation
Wins over Belgium, Spain and Portugal carried Morocco to the semi-finals; a fourth-place finish that rewrote the record books.
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2026
Seventh appearance — aiming even higher
Morocco return as a top-eight side with a new coach, aiming to build on the 2022 legacy.
Top-8 ranking, 2022 semi-finals and two Real Madrid academy graduates
Best World Cup finish by an African or Arab nation
Morocco reached the 2022 semi-finals — the best World Cup finish by any African or Arab nation.
Record-high 8th in the FIFA rankings
They hit a record-high 8th in the FIFA rankings in January 2026, the best for an African team since Nigeria in 1994.
A squad built on diaspora
The squad relies heavily on European-born and European-based diaspora players.
Hakimi — born and developed in Madrid
Captain Achraf Hakimi was born in Madrid and came through Real Madrid’s academy.
Brahim Diaz chose Morocco over Spain
Brahim Diaz, also Madrid-developed, chose Morocco over Spain.
Regragui left just months before the tournament
Walid Regragui, the 2022 mastermind, left just months before the 2026 tournament.
Topped a 1986 group containing England, Portugal and Poland
In 1986 Morocco topped a group containing England, Portugal and Poland.
The 2022 fairytale earned a massive global fanbase — the atmosphere follows them everywhere.
- The 2022 fairytale earned a massive global fanbase — the atmosphere follows them everywhere.
- Hakimi is one of football’s most thrilling attacking full-backs.
- A disciplined defensive unit capable of toppling giants on any given day.
- A genuine chance to see history repeated against the very best.
- New coach, high stakes — the intrigue of a team in transition under pressure.
Second in Group C — with a realistic quarter-final ceiling.
Morocco to finish second in Group C behind Brazil and qualify for the knockout rounds. With their defensive backbone and Hakimi’s threat, a round-of-16 or quarter-final run is realistic; how quickly the new coaching setup gels will decide whether 2022’s heights are within reach again.