Morocco carry new burden into World Cup: Expectation

RIYADH: Morocco head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup determined to build on their success in Qatar. But following up on the greatest achievement in a country’s football history is never easy, and history suggests the Atlas Lions face an uphill battle.

Cameroon stunned the world when they held England until extra time in the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup. What followed was a last-place finish in 1994.

Sweden and Bulgaria’s fairytale runs to the semifinals in 1994 also proved difficult to sustain. Sweden failed to qualify for the 1998 tournament, while Bulgaria exited at the group stage.

Croatia failed to progress from their group in 2002 after finishing third in 1998, while Senegal and Turkiye missed the following World Cup after reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively in 2002.

Most recently, Costa Rica’s remarkable run to the quarterfinals in 2014 was followed by group-stage exits in both 2018 and 2022 before missing out on qualification in 2026.

It is extremely rare for a World Cup underdog to repeat their performance four years later, which is why Morocco face a challenge unlike any in their history.

For the Atlas Lions are no longer outsiders.

They arrived in Qatar in 2022 as ambitious underdogs and left as the first Arab and African nation to reach the final four. Four years later, the landscape is entirely different and Morocco are expected to go deep into the tournament.

For the first time they are being judged on whether they can live up to what they have already achieved.

Unlike club football, where titles are contested on a yearly basis, international football changes dramatically over its four-year cycles.

More than 60 percent of Morocco’s 2022 World Cup squad will not be present in North America. Familiar faces — Soufiane Boufal, Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri and Romain Saiss — have all moved on from the national team setup.

Moreover, tournaments between World Cups often shape perception as much as the tournament itself. Morocco’s disappointing exit in the round of 16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations raised early questions about whether their World Cup success could be sustained.

Those questions only grew louder following the controversial events at the 2025 AFCON final against Senegal. The Lions of Teranga left the pitch in protest following the award of a penalty to Morocco, before returning 15 minutes later. Edouard Mendy saved Brahim Diaz’s penalty, and Senegal went on to win in extra time.

While Morocco were ultimately awarded the title following the tournament’s conclusion, the emotional scars of losing the final to Senegal on the pitch remain difficult to ignore.

The Atlas Lions left the field believing they had fallen short in front of their own supporters. Diaz’s missed penalty, Senegal’s extra-time winner and the heartbreak of that evening are all memories that linger — regardless of how the record books read now.

Whether Morocco use that experience as fuel or allow it to become psychological baggage will prove decisive in North America.

The aftermath of that tournament also took its toll on coach Walid Regragui, perhaps the clearest example of how quickly fortunes can change in international football.

Regragui was revered at the end of the 2022 World Cup. He had not simply guided Morocco to the final four, but became the first Arab and African manager to take a nation that far.

In a region where local managers are often overlooked in favour of foreign names, Regragui gave the Arab and African footballing world a figure to rally behind.

Which is why, from the outside, it came as a surprise when sections of the Moroccan fanbase began calling for change. His style of football was no longer embraced, his media responses came under increased scrutiny, and many supporters felt a new voice was needed ahead of 2026.

Enter Mohamed Ouahbi. A FIFA U-20 World Cup winner with Morocco, Ouahbi arrives with a style that appears better suited to a Morocco team expected to dominate matches rather than react to them.

But the challenge facing him is not simply tactical; it is psychological.

For all the influence tactics, talent and strategy can have on football, the World Cup often belongs to teams that manage pressure best.

And Morocco will experience a type of pressure they have never faced before: the burden of expectation.

What better way to discover whether they are ready for that burden than an opening match against Brazil, the most successful World Cup nation of all time?