​Morocco could not reproduce the semifinal magic they showed at the last World Cup, once again meeting a French obstacle as they were eliminated in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 defeat to Les Bleus in Boston on Thursday. Yet as cohosts of the next tournament, they will begin recalibrating their ambitions toward the world title. France had beaten them in the Qatar semifinal four years ago, and this time the result mirrored that earlier setback, with a stronger French performance sealing the win.
Still, Morocco’s run at the expanded 48-team World Cup can be viewed as a success. They became the first African nation to reach consecutive quarterfinals, removed the Netherlands from their path, and even gave Brazil a scare in their opening game of the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Heading into the tournament, there were doubts about how they might cope with a coaching change made just three months before the finals. Mohamed Ouahbi, promoted from the junior ranks after guiding Morocco to last year’s Under-20 World Cup title, transitioned smoothly into the senior role.
With the next World Cup on the horizon as a cohost alongside Portugal and Spain in 2030, Morocco already has a head start on qualification. “We have a young team who want to grow, who will continue to do so. We have talented players who will enable us to grow,” Ouahbi said after Thursday’s game. It would be unsurprising to see the team retain their coach and build toward a future World Cup campaign, ideally with the ultimate aim of winning the tournament. However, Ouahbi must navigate two Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2027 and 2028 before that objective fully crystallizes, aware that coaching positions in Africa are notably precarious when results falter.
His predecessor, Walid Regragui, experienced intense public pressure after failing to capture the Cup of Nations title in January in Rabat, where Senegal secured the trophy. Ouahbi echoed a measured approach: “We need to first qualify for the Cup of Nations and win it. We must take a step back and ensure we have a squad capable of building and generating dreams for the future, and winning titles to confirm we’re on the right track.”
Morocco’s Cup of Nations record remains modest despite their continental ranking. They once held Africa’s top spot but had only one triumph, the 1976 championship, until they were awarded the 2025 title after Senegal was stripped of the trophy for walking off during the final. That decision is currently under appeal and could be reversed. Moroccans will next take the field in September when Cup of Nations qualifying resumes. They will face Gabon, Lesotho, and Niger in their group—a slate that appears routine on paper, though it will provide the chance to sharpen their credentials for 2030.
If Morocco hopes to make an impact at the 2030 World Cup, they will likely need a more demanding schedule of opponents to fine-tune their approach. “Of course, the Cup of Nations is not the World Cup. This is a different kind of competition, with opponents that have different styles of play,” Ouahbi noted, underscoring the need for strategic preparation tailored to global standards as the team eyes the next pinnacle.