The exclusion of France against Spain questions the efforts of the "Atlas Lions" against the "Roosters."

Moroccan football followers had barely recovered from the shock of the loss to France in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup when they were surprised by the elimination of the "Les Bleus" team against the Spanish national team in the semi-finals.

That French team, which was seen as the "boogeyman" of the World Cup and the top contender for the trophy, appeared lost against "La Roja," as coach Luis de la Fuente successfully read the match; his players, led by Rodri, dominated the game from start to finish, ending the match with a clean two-goal victory that allowed them to qualify for the final, while ending the dream of Mbappé's teammates to reach the final for the third consecutive time.

The shock of the French team's performance was not limited to football followers in France; its echo extended to Moroccan fans who were astonished at how a team that displayed such performance could dominate the quarter-final match against the "Atlas Lions," leading them to ponder many questions: How did we lose the match? Did the "Lions" respect their opponents too much? Could it have been better than it was?

In the midst of the debate that followed Morocco's exit against France, opinions varied between those who merely compared the results of the teams and those who called for an analysis of the match in its technical and tactical context. Several national coaches believe that evaluating the performance of the "Atlas Lions" should not be based on direct comparisons with other teams; rather, it should be a comprehensive reading that takes into account the uniqueness of each match, the level of the opponent, the technical choices, and the overall trajectory of the team.

In this regard, national coach Fawzi Jamal considered that the real problem in analyzing football today is that nearly 90 percent of the content published on social media is limited to comparing teams or players or results.

Jamal explained, in a statement to Hespress, that the truth is that comparison does not rely solely on analysis, as each football match has its own circumstances, characteristics, and specific reality.