Hundreds of millions gathered to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup series, eager to witness football history. But were they ready for the history Morocco was determined to make?
Making their sixth appearance as an independent nation, the Atlas Lions brought pride and joy to the Arab and African world by remaining undefeated until the semi-finals. Here, they were the only Arab country to play in the semi-finals and the first African country in history to qualify. Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010 were the last three African teams close to making the World Cup semi-finals.
Despite their 2-0 French defeat, they played a strong game where they dominated in possession of the ball and pass accuracy. They demonstrated a strong defense and intelligence on the field with distinct performers; Sofyan Amrabat (midfielder), Yassine Bounou (goalkeeper), Achraf Hakimi (defense), Yousseff en-Nesyri (forward), Azzedine Ounahi (midfielder), Romain Saiss (center defense), and Hakim Ziyech (midfielder).
In their last match, they lost to Croatia 2-1, earning fourth place in the series. Although it’s not first, fourth place out of 32 nations, is a huge stepping stone for Moroccan football history. We look forward to seeing the game they bring in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.