"The Atlas Lions" enter the 2026 World Cup under the pressure of high expectations.
The semi-final surprise four years ago, and the African champion awaiting a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport due to an administrative decision, along with being one of the organizers for the 2030 World Cup, Morocco and its new coach Mohamed Wahbi will test the pressure that comes with their new status as a "dark horse" during the 2026 World Cup.
Benjamin Mokandjo, the former captain of the Cameroon national team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 and current analyst at beIN Sports, said: “Four years ago in Qatar, no one expected Morocco to reach the semi-finals, with a defensive playing style; but it is very effective in both penalty areas. Today, it is expected and is not viewed in the same way. Morocco is intimidating; but will it maintain its ability to surprise?”
Since four years ago, and since the semi-final of the Qatar World Cup that they lost to France (2-0), an unprecedented achievement for an African team, the life of the "Atlas Lions" has not been a walk in the park.
Despite this historic journey and their eighth place in the FIFA ranking (the top African team), they have not been spared troubles, especially Walid Regragui, the former coach and architect of this bright era; however, he was put in the dock publicly due to his reliance on a constrained style of play, and because he did not win, on the field, the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 hosted by Morocco.
Days before the decision of the African Union's disciplinary committee to ultimately award the title to Morocco "by administrative decision" at the expense of Senegal, who won 1-0 after a dramatic final, Regragui succumbed three months before the World Cup in the United States, and left his position to Mohamed Wahbi, who led the under-20 team to a world championship title in 2025.
Mokandjo added: “Changing coaches does not worry me. Recent history has shown that Morocco knows how to deal with that. Vahid Halilhodzic left months before Qatar, and Regragui, who succeeded him, led the team to the semi-finals”; especially since Wahbi, who is already part of the Moroccan Football Federation system, provides serious guarantees, enjoys wide popularity in the kingdom, and does not take over a faltering team.