No African nation carries more expectation into 2026. The Atlas Lions stunned the world at Qatar 2022, becoming the first African and first Arab side to reach a World Cup semi-final, and they arrive in North America as reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions. Captain Achraf Hakimi, a Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, leads a squad that mixes nine survivors of that 2022 run, including goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, with the new attacking spark of Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz. There is a twist: Walid Regragui, the architect of 2022, left in March, and new coach Mohamed Ouahbi has reshaped the squad, leaving out Youssef En-Nesyri and Hakim Ziyech. Morocco land in Group C with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti. This is the squad, the group, the fixtures and the case for another deep run.
Morocco pair the battle-hardened core of 2022 with fresh attacking quality. These are the names the campaign will turn on.
The talisman. Morocco's captain and best player, the Paris Saint-Germain right-back won the Champions League this season and is one of the finest attacking full-backs on earth. He sets the tone for everything the Atlas Lions do.
The shootout hero. Bono was immense in 2022, saving penalties against Spain to send Morocco into the last eight. Now at Al-Hilal, the goalkeeper remains a calm, commanding last line of defence.
The new spark. The Real Madrid attacker chose Morocco over Spain and repaid the faith by finishing top scorer at AFCON 2025 with five goals. Quick, inventive and direct, he gives Morocco a different gear in the final third.
The defensive leader. A key figure in the 2022 back line, Aguerd is composed, aggressive and a threat at set pieces. He anchors a defence that conceded just one open-play goal across that World Cup run.
The versatile defender. The Manchester United man can play either flank and brings Premier League quality and tactical intelligence, allowing Ouahbi to push Hakimi even higher up the pitch.
The midfield warrior. The tireless ball-winner was one of the breakout stars of 2022, shielding the back four and driving Morocco forward. He remains the heartbeat of the team in the middle.
Mohamed Ouahbi named his official 26-man squad on 26 May 2026. Below are the confirmed pillars of that group, set out by position, with captain Achraf Hakimi leading the way. Ouahbi kept the spine of the 2022 semi-final side, with nine survivors of that run, while bringing in fresh talent and leaving out two of its biggest names. Club listings can shift across the summer window.
Ouahbi's first World Cup squad is built on continuity at the back, with Hakimi, Mazraoui, Aguerd, Bounou and Amrabat all carried over from the 2022 run, and freshened in attack, where Brahim Diaz now leads the creative charge after his AFCON 2025 top-scorer campaign. The most debated calls were the omissions of striker Youssef En-Nesyri and playmaker Hakim Ziyech, two emblems of Qatar 2022 left at home. Club listings can change over the summer transfer window.
A change of coach brought a change of direction, and Ouahbi's first major squad produced two of the biggest African selection stories of the summer.
The 2022 quarter-final hero, whose header sank Portugal, misses out. Reporting points to tactical reasons, with Ouahbi preferring forwards with stronger hold-up play to link the attack.
A talisman of the golden generation, but declining form and a clear shift toward younger options under the new regime saw the former Chelsea man left out of the 26.
The new face of the attack. With the old guard moving on, the Real Madrid man steps up as Morocco's creative reference point after topping the scoring charts at AFCON 2025.
Morocco were drawn into Group C with five-time champions Brazil, Scotland and World Cup returnees Haiti. Morocco and Brazil are the favourites to go through, but the Atlas Lions face the hardest possible start against Brazil before games they will expect to win against Scotland and Haiti. All three are on the eastern side of the map, from New Jersey to Boston to Atlanta.
Morocco open against Brazil at MetLife Stadium, the venue that will also host the Final, on 13 June. For the full picture of all 104 games, see the WorldCuply.com match schedule, read our Brazil guide on their Group C opponents, and compare Africa's other contenders with our Egypt and Algeria guides.
After 2022, anything short of the knockouts would be a disappointment, and this squad has the tools to go deep again:
Morocco have proved they belong among the world's best. With a settled defence, a fresh attacking talisman and the format on their side, the Atlas Lions will target the quarter-finals at least, and dream of going one better than 2022.
Morocco are one of 48 nations heading to the 2026 World Cup. Explore the rest of the WorldCuply.com guide:
Morocco's Group C opponents and the five-time champions, Vinicius Jr and the chase for a sixth star.
Read the Brazil guide ›Another of Africa's contenders, Mohamed Salah's Pharaohs, their group and squad for 2026.
Read the Egypt guide ›The top players going to the 2026 World Cup, the names who can decide knockout ties.
View the top 12 ›All 104 fixtures across 16 host cities, with kickoff times you can filter to your team.
Open the schedule ›This guide was hand-written from the following reporting and reference pages, used to confirm Morocco's squad, coach, group and fixtures:
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