FIFA mentions Morocco in the 1998 World Cup

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) report highlighted the return of a historical scenario in the 2026 World Cup finals, where the Moroccan national team will be in one group with the Brazilian and Scottish national teams, in a repeat of what happened during the 1998 World Cup.

The report, which was published on the official FIFA website, indicated that the triple confrontations between these teams go back nearly three decades, when the group also included Norway, and at that time witnessed strong competition and exciting results, despite the harsh end that the “Atlas Lions” suffered.

In its review of that edition, the international body that governs the game highlighted that the Moroccan national team, led by Mustafa Hajji and Salah Eddine Basir, presented remarkable levels, as it tied with Norway and lost to Brazil before achieving a broad victory over Scotland. However, a late goal in the other match prevented them from qualifying, despite scoring four points.

The same source confirmed that Morocco has changed radically since then, as it is no longer just a team seeking to go beyond the group stage; Rather, it has become a rising football force at the global level, especially after its historic achievement in the 2022 World Cup, when it finished the competition in fourth place, in addition to rising to eighth place in the “FIFA” classification, which is the best in its history.

The development did not stop with the first team; Rather, it included various age groups, as the under-23 team won a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, while the under-20 team won the “Youth World Cup 2025” title, in a clear indication of the strength and continuity of the Moroccan football project.

At the level of technical leadership, the report indicated that national coach Mohamed Wehbe will assume the task of leading the national team in the 2026 World Cup, succeeding Walid Regragui, in a step that reflects the university’s confidence in local competencies to continue building on the achieved successes.

The FIFA report concluded by emphasizing that repeating the 1998 group gives a special character to the 2026 matches. However, the current data make the Moroccan team a completely different party, with greater capabilities and broader ambitions, making it a candidate to write a new chapter in the history of its “World Cup” participation.