THE RISE OF MOROCCO, AFRICA'S POWERHOUSES

How the Atlas Lions went from World Cup afterthoughts to genuine contenders

- BY ROBERT ILSLEY

Any suggestion that Morocco’s remarkable run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals was a fluke has quickly been put to bed.

The Atlas Lions keep on exceeding expectations on the major stage, this time defeating the Netherlands for the first time in their history to book their place in the 2026 World Cup round of 16.

Morocco had already cemented their place in African World Cup history before the knockout stages, surpassing Ghana and Nigeria to become the continent's most successful nation with a record seven World Cup victories.

Now extending that record to eight wins, the fearless Atlas Lions are the story that keeps on giving, leaving football fans across the globe captivated.

For much of their World Cup history, Morocco were a nation capable of producing talented players and memorable performances, but they lacked the consistency to establish themselves among the tournament’s elite.

Their first appearance came in 1970, where they exited in the group stage, and while qualification itself was an achievement, it marked the beginning of a long period of frustration on football's biggest stage.

Four years later they failed to qualify, before finally producing a moment that would define African football in 1986.

Defining moment