Mohamed Ouahbi announced the Morocco World Cup Squad 2026 on May 26, after Walid Regragui resigned on March 5, 2026, just three months before kickoff. Ouahbi stepped up from leading the Under-20 side to U20 World Cup glory in 2025, beating Argentina 2-0 in the final. This is his first senior head coaching role. His first test: Brazil, in New Jersey, on June 13.
Morocco arrive ranked eighth in the world as of April 1, 2026, and as reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions. Nine players from the historic 2022 semi-final squad return, including Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, and Sofyan Amrabat. The squad is drawn heavily from European clubs, spanning the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga. Youssef En-Nesyri and Sofiane Boufal, both heroes in Qatar, don’t make Ouahbi’s final 26.
Here is your full Morocco squad list, schedule, and key player breakdown for the 2026 tournament.
Morocco 26-Player Squad for World Cup 2026
| Position | Player | Club | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Yassine Bounou | Al-Hilal | 35 |
| GK | Munir El Kajoui | RS Berkane | 32 |
| GK | Reda Tagnaouti | AS FAR | 30 |
| DF | Achraf Hakimi (C) | Paris Saint-Germain | 27 |
| DF | Noussair Mazraoui | Manchester United | 28 |
| DF | Nayef Aguerd | Marseille | 30 |
| DF | Chadi Riad | Crystal Palace | 22 |
| DF | Issa Diop | Fulham | 29 |
| DF | Anass Salah-Eddine | PSV | 25 |
| DF | Zakaria El Ouahdi | Genk | 23 |
| DF | Youssef Belammari | Al Ahly | 27 |
| DF | Redouane Halhal | Mechelen | 23 |
| MF | Sofyan Amrabat | Real Betis | 29 |
| MF | Azzedine Ounahi | Girona | 26 |
| MF | Bilal El Khannouss | VfB Stuttgart | 22 |
| MF | Ismael Saibari | PSV | 24 |
| MF | Neil El Aynaoui | Roma | 26 |
| MF | Samir El Mourabet | Strasbourg | 20 |
| MF | Ayyoub Bouaddi | Lille | 18 |
| FW | Brahim Diaz | Real Madrid | 26 |
| FW | Ayoub El Kaabi | Olympiacos | 29 |
| FW | Abde Ezzalzouli | Real Betis | 24 |
| FW | Soufiane Rahimi | Al Ain | 29 |
| FW | Chemsdine Talbi | Sunderland | 24 |
| FW | Gessime Yassine | Strasbourg | 20 |
| FW | Ayoube Amaimouni | Eintracht Frankfurt | 21 |
For all 48 team announcement dates, see our World Cup 2026 squads tracker.
Quick Stats
A snapshot of the key numbers in Ouahbi’s 26-man selection.
- Average age: 25.7 years
- Youngest player: Ayyoub Bouaddi (18)
- Oldest player: Yassine Bounou (35)
- Most-capped player: Achraf Hakimi (95 caps)
- Premier League players: 4 (Mazraoui, Riad, Diop, Talbi)
- La Liga players: 4 (Brahim Diaz, Amrabat, Ounahi, Ezzalzouli)
- Top qualifying scorer: Ayoub El Kaabi (4 goals in CAF Group E)
- 2022 World Cup returnees: 9, including Hakimi, Bounou, Amrabat, Aguerd, Mazraoui
Key Players to Watch
Achraf Hakimi (C) | Paris Saint-Germain
Hakimi is Morocco’s captain with 95 caps and the squad’s biggest threat. The PSG right-back pushes into attack like a winger, then tracks back with elite defensive discipline. He won the Champions League with PSG this season and arrived as one of the best full-backs in the world. Everything Morocco do going forward flows through his flank.
Brahim Diaz | Real Madrid
Diaz is the creative engine of Morocco’s attack. Born in Málaga to Moroccan parents, he chose Morocco over Spain. He finished as top scorer at AFCON 2025 with five goals in five games, the first player in history to score in every group match and then continue into the knockouts. He missed a penalty in the AFCON final but the tournament proved he belongs on the biggest stages.
Sofyan Amrabat | Real Betis
Amrabat is the midfield engine who made the world notice Morocco at Qatar 2022. He shields the defence, wins duels in the middle third, and presses relentlessly. Now at Real Betis on loan from Fenerbahçe, he’s one of three players who appeared in all seven of Morocco’s matches at the last World Cup. His energy sets the tone for everything Ouahbi wants in midfield.
Yassine Bounou | Al-Hilal
Bounou is the experienced backbone of this team at 35. He saved three penalties in the 2022 Round of 16 shootout against Spain, one of the tournament’s defining moments. Morocco won’t reach the knockouts without clean sheets, and Bounou’s reading of the game gives Ouahbi his most reliable platform.
Bilal El Khannouss | VfB Stuttgart
El Khannouss is 22 and among the most exciting midfielders Morocco have produced in years. He arrived at Leicester City as a teenager, then completed a permanent move to Stuttgart this season and thrived in the Bundesliga. His runs from deep, eye for a pass, and comfort in tight spaces make him a genuine X-factor. Ouahbi will look to El Khannouss when Morocco need a moment of quality.
Morocco World Cup 2026 Schedule
Morocco play all three group stage matches in the United States. Kick-off times are listed in both Eastern Time (ET) and Western European Summer Time (WEST) for fans back home in Morocco.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kickoff (ET) | Kickoff (WEST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2026 | Brazil | New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, NJ | 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Scotland | Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium), Foxborough, MA | 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| Jun 24, 2026 | Haiti | Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Atlanta, GA | 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
All kick-off times follow the official FIFA match schedule, confirmed from the December 5, 2025 group draw. Morocco face the toughest possible opener against five-time champions Brazil before back-to-back matches they’ll expect to win.
Check the full 2026 World Cup schedule for all knockout round dates and kick-off times.
How Morocco Qualified for World Cup 2026
Morocco came through CAF Group E qualifying with a perfect eight-from-eight record. They won every match, scored 22 goals, and conceded just two across the whole campaign. No other team came close. They finished 15 points clear of second-placed Niger with 24 points from a possible 24.
The group included Niger, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Republic of Congo. Eritrea withdrew before the first matchday, citing concerns that players would seek asylum abroad. Congo were suspended mid-campaign due to government interference in their federation. Morocco swept whoever remained in front of them, running up a 6-0 victory over Congo along the way.
Morocco sealed qualification on September 5, 2025, with a 5-0 win over Niger at home in Rabat with two matches to spare. Ayoub El Kaabi finished as the group’s top scorer for the Atlas Lions with four goals. They completed the campaign with a 2-0 away win in Zambia and a 1-0 victory over Congo in October, finishing with a goal difference of plus 20.
Head Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi
Mohamed Ouahbi is a Moroccan-Belgian coach from a Riffian family in Nador, who grew up in Schaerbeek, Brussels. He spent 17 years in the youth setup at RSC Anderlecht, building one of European football’s most respected development pipelines. In March 2022, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation appointed him as Under-20 national team coach.
The results were immediate. Ouahbi led Morocco’s U20s to the World Cup title in 2025, beating the United States 3-1 in the quarter-finals, France on penalties in the semi-finals, and Argentina 2-0 in the final. That made Morocco only the second African side to win the U20 World Cup. It also made Ouahbi one of the hottest coaching names on the continent.
Walid Regragui resigned on March 5, 2026, and Ouahbi stepped into the senior role without hesitation. This is his first senior head coaching job. He has shown a preference for a high-pressing 4-3-3 with overlapping full-backs, and his experience developing young talent gives this squad confidence in their attacking transitions. The senior squad already knows his methods from their time in Morocco’s youth setups.
Group C at a Glance
Morocco are in Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti. Here is how the group looks going into the tournament.
| Team | FIFA Ranking | World Cup Appearances | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 6th | 22 (1930-2022) | Champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) |
| Morocco | 8th | 6 (1970-2022) | Fourth place (2022) |
| Scotland | 36th | 8 (1954-1998) | Group stage |
| Haiti | 84th | 1 (1974) | Group stage |
Brazil and Morocco rankings are from the April 1, 2026 FIFA update. Scotland and Haiti rankings are from the November 2025 update. World Cup appearances are pre-2026 figures.
Brazil are the group’s biggest challenge by a distance. Scotland return for the first time since 1998. Haiti’s only other World Cup was 1974. Morocco are expected to finish second behind Brazil, but the June 13 opener shapes the whole group.
Morocco and Brazil have met once at a World Cup, in 1998, when Brazil won 3-0 in Nantes. Morocco beat Brazil 2-1 in a September 2023 friendly, their first-ever win over the Seleção. See the full group analysis at the 2026 World Cup groups hub.
FAQ About Morocco World Cup Squad 2026
What formation does Morocco play under Mohamed Ouahbi?
Ouahbi uses a 4-3-3 system with high pressing and overlapping full-backs. Hakimi pushes into attack from right-back, Amrabat anchors the midfield base, and Diaz and El Khannouss rotate in the half-spaces. The system builds on what Ouahbi ran with the U20 side: quick transitions, aggressive pressing triggers, and creative freedom for wide attackers.
What is Morocco’s nickname?
Morocco’s national team is known as the Atlas Lions, a reference to the Atlas Mountains that run through the country. The nickname captures the pride of a football culture that produced the first African and Arab team to reach a World Cup semi-final, at Qatar 2022.
Who is Morocco’s all-time top international scorer?
Youssef En-Nesyri holds the modern record for goals scored by a Morocco player currently active, with three World Cup goals across 2018 and 2022. Historically, Salaheddine Bassir scored twice at the 1998 World Cup. En-Nesyri didn’t make Ouahbi’s 2026 squad, leaving Ayoub El Kaabi and Brahim Diaz as the main goal threats.
Has Morocco ever beaten Brazil at the World Cup?
No. The two sides have met once at a World Cup, in the 1998 group stage, where Brazil won 3-0 in Nantes. However, Morocco beat Brazil 2-1 in a September 2023 friendly in Seville, their first-ever win over the five-time champions. The June 13 Group C match in New Jersey is their first World Cup meeting in 28 years.
Morocco’s World Cup 2026 Hopes
The Morocco World Cup Squad 2026 carries the weight of 2022 and the energy of a new chapter. Ouahbi’s squad blends veteran quality with young talent developed across Europe. Hakimi and Bounou give them a world-class base. Diaz and El Khannouss could be the difference-makers in tight knockouts. Morocco won’t scare anybody on paper. They’ll scare them on the pitch.
The group stage demands wins over Scotland and Haiti, and a credible showing against Brazil on June 13. Past the group stage, Morocco could meet a weakened Group F side in the Round of 32. A quarter-final is a realistic target. A semi-final would match 2022. This squad has the spine of veterans who know how to win under pressure, and a new coach who hasn’t lost a tournament yet.
