Morocco Turns into First African Staff to Clinch 2026 World Cup Spot

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The Atlas Lions will be roaring once again at the 2026 World Cup.

Morocco became the first African country to book a place at next year’s 48-team edition after a 5-0 victory over Niger on Friday. That secured them as winners of their six-team group in the African qualifying phase.

2026 FIFA WORLD CUP: WHO HAS QUALIFIED? WHO CAN MAKE IT?

Morocco won a sixth successive game in the qualifiers with two goals from Ismael Saibari and one each from Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi. They are the only side across the nine African qualifying groups with a 100 percent record.

The Moroccans were the first African country to reach a World Cup semifinal in Qatar in 2022 and have remained the top-ranked African side since. At the 2022 tournament, they beat Spain and Portugal during the knockout rounds to reach the final four before losing to France. They also dropped the consolation match against the Netherlands.

Nonetheless, expect a strong showing by Morocco next year, which will be their seventh World Cup appearance overall. They boast a talented squad with plenty of global superstars, such as PSG fullback Achraf Hakimi and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz.

Morocco will also look to head into next summer on a high note, as they’ll be one of the heavy favorites for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in December and January. The nation will serve as hosts for the continental championship, which culminates with the final in Rabat on Jan. 18.

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