When does Morocco play at World Cup 2026?

Morocco's 2022 World Cup run changed everything. They became the first African and first Arab nation to reach a semi-final, beating Spain on penalties and Portugal in the quarter-final before losing to France. It wasn't a fluke built on defensive fortune. They were genuinely good, conceding just one goal in open play across the entire tournament. The question now is whether they can do it again.

Their broader World Cup history before 2022 was more modest. Six previous appearances produced only one trip past the group stage, back in 1986. The 2022 breakthrough was decades in the making, built on a diaspora talent pipeline that connects Moroccan heritage to academies across France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. That pipeline keeps producing, and the squad is arguably deeper now than it was four years ago.

Morocco went unbeaten through African qualifying, winning all eight matches and scoring 22 goals while conceding just two. They also hosted and won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, though the title came under disputed circumstances after a protest by Senegal. The coaching situation shifted after the tournament, with Walid Regragui, the architect of the 2022 miracle, remaining in charge and maintaining the tactical identity that made them so difficult to beat.

Achraf Hakimi is one of the best right-backs in world football and sets the tone with his aggressive overlapping runs. Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz has added another dimension to the attack since the last World Cup, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou remains outstanding despite dropping off the mainstream radar since moving to the Saudi league. The blend of experienced tournament performers and hungry young talent gives Regragui real options.

Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti is challenging but navigable. The Brazil match is the marquee fixture and will generate enormous interest as a meeting between two teams with genuine ambitions. Morocco have already proven they can beat anyone when organized and motivated. Scotland will scrap for every point, and Haiti are a beautiful story but unlikely to threaten.

Anything less than the knockout rounds would be a disappointment. Morocco have established themselves as a force and reaching the quarter-finals again is a realistic target. They've got the defensive structure, the individual talent, and the tournament experience to go deep. Whether they can match the emotion and intensity of 2022 remains to be seen, but this squad hasn't forgotten what that felt like, and they want more of it.