With the 2026 FIFA World Cup another week closer to kicking off, that means that another qualified team will be put in the spotlight. This week, the first African team to qualify for next year’s tournament, will be the focus of the story.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was historic for the nation of Morocco, who finished the tournament in 4th place, the best finish that the country has ever had. Prior to that, their best performance was in 1986, where they finished in 11th place. This year, they hope to continue this upward trend and make it all the way to the final match of the tournament, which will be held at MetLife Stadium.
To say that Morocco dominated its way to a qualifying spot would be an understatement, as the team recorded eight wins in all eight qualifying matches that they played. Throughout the eight games, Morocco tallied 22 goals, while giving up just two goals to their opponents.
Morocco played their most recent match on Oct. 14, where they defeated Congo by a score of 1-0. The team has continued to display dominance leading up to the tournament, a sign of optimism that they can repeat their results from 2022. Five years ago, Morocco was ranked 39th in the world, now they stand at 11th, looking to keep bringing that number down further.
Morocco’s 2022 FIFA World Cup appearance wasn’t just historic for the country, but for the continent of Africa, as a whole. Their semi-finals appearance marked the first time that an African nation has made it that far in the tournament.
One of the team’s decisive factors in the 2022 tournament was Achraf Hakimi, who plays right-back and is the captain of Morocco’s team. Hakimi plays for Paris Saint-Germain, which is widely regarded as one of the best clubs in the sport and he is considered one of the best at his position in the world. Hakimi finished in sixth place for this year’s Ballon d’Or race, which honors the best footballer for each season.
With Hakimi set to lead the team once again, Morocco is looking to make it even further in next year’s tournament. The previous FIFA World Cup was Morocco’s most memorable one yet, but next year they will try to top it, hoping to earn a spot in the final match, which will be held in the Meadowlands.