Morocco arrive at the 2026 World Cup carrying the most remarkable story in African football history. This is their seventh appearance at the tournament, having first qualified in 1970. For years they were a footnote, exiting in the group stage at three of their first four tournaments. Then came Qatar 2022, where the Atlas Lions dismantled expectations entirely: they beat Belgium in the group stage, then eliminated Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds before falling to France in the semifinals and losing the third place match to Croatia. No African or Arab nation had ever gone that far. That run gave Morocco a permanent place among the game's serious contenders.

Morocco earned their place in 2026 with a commanding CAF qualifying campaign in Group E alongside Tanzania, Zambia, Congo, and Niger. They were flawless across eight matches, scoring twenty two goals and conceding just two. They dispatched Congo six goals to nil and then, on 09/05/25, put five past Niger without reply in Rabat to clinch qualification with two matches still remaining. That result made them the first African nation to secure a spot in the 2026 tournament. They finished the campaign on twenty four points from a perfect eight wins from eight record.