For years, Morocco built its reputation on discipline, resilience and the ability to punish opponents on the counterattack. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, however, the Atlas Lions have shown a very different face.
Under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi, Morocco have embraced a more adventurous style, taking control of matches rather than waiting for opportunities to appear. Their performances in North America suggest a team no longer content with upsetting football’s traditional powers. Instead, they are aiming to compete with them on equal terms.
That shift was clear in Morocco’s opening match against Brazil. Although the game ended in a 1-1 draw, it was Morocco who dictated long spells of possession and pressed one of the world’s most successful football nations high up the pitch.
“I won’t prepare any differently for a match against Brazil, we have our own philosophy,” Ouahbi said before the tournament, signalling his belief that Morocco should impose its own game rather than react to its opponents.
The approach marks a sharp departure from the side that captured global attention at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Then, under former coach Walid Regragui, Morocco relied on defensive organisation, tactical discipline and clinical counterattacks to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Ouahbi, appointed just three months before the tournament after leading Morocco’s Under-20 side to the 2025 world title, has sought to preserve that fighting spirit while adding greater control in possession.
“We have to recognise that Morocco are living through the finest technical era in their footballing history,” the 50-year-old said before the tournament.
His philosophy is built around the qualities of Morocco’s current generation of players—comfortable on the ball, technically gifted and capable of sustaining a high press. Rather than encouraging speculative long-range efforts, Ouahbi wants his players to create higher-quality chances inside the penalty area.
“I’m not telling them not to shoot from outside the box,” he explained. “But since we’re getting into the penalty area so often, why would we shoot from long range?”
The change has been helped by an emerging crop of talent. Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, just 18, has impressed with his composure and intelligence since making his senior international debut. Alongside him, players such as Brahim Diaz, Ismael Saibari, Nayef Aguerd and Chadi Riad have strengthened a squad that already possessed considerable experience.
Yet Morocco’s evolution has not come at the expense of the qualities that made them so difficult to beat four years ago.
That balance was evident in the round-of-16 victory over Canada. After taking the lead through Azzedine Ounahi, Morocco were happy to defend deeper when the game demanded it before exploiting the spaces left by their advancing opponents to secure a convincing 3-0 win.
Veteran figures remain central to the team’s identity. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, captain Achraf Hakimi and midfielder Ounahi continue to provide leadership, while maintaining the resilience that became Morocco’s hallmark in Qatar.
Following the dramatic penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands, Bounou reflected on the team’s mentality.
“I think you’ve seen in our matches that the players are playing with tremendous passion, just as we did in 2022. The team still has the same mindset,” he said.
Perhaps the biggest test of Morocco’s new identity now awaits.
The Atlas Lions face France in Boston with a place in the next stage at stake. The fixture offers more than another chance to reach new heights. It will also show whether Ouahbi’s vision—one that blends the discipline of the past with a more confident, attacking style—is ready to succeed against one of world football’s elite nations.
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