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Morocco national football team facts for kids

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Morocco
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) أُسُودُ الأَطلَس
(The Atlas Lions)
Association Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation UNAF (North Africa)
Head coach Walid Regragui
Captain Hakim Ziyech
Most caps Noureddine Naybet (115)
Top scorer Ahmed Faras (36)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code MAR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 43 Decrease 3 (7 February 2019)
Highest 10 (April 1998)
Lowest 95 (September 2010)
First international
 Morocco 3–3 Iraq 
(Beirut, Lebanon; 19 October 1957)
Biggest win
 Morocco 13–1 Saudi Arabia 
(Casablanca, Morocco; 6 September 1961)
Biggest defeat
 Hungary 6–0 Morocco 
(Tokyo, Japan; 11 October 1964)
World Cup
Appearances 6 (first in 1970)
Best result Fourth place (2022)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 20 (first in 1972)
Best result Champions (1976)
Arab Cup
Appearances 4 (first in 1998)
Best result Champions (2012)
African Nations Championship
Appearances 4 (first in 2014)
Best result Champions (2018, 2020)
Medal record
Africa Cup of Nations
Gold 1976 Ethiopia
Silver 2004 Tunisia
Bronze 1980 Nigeria
Arab Cup
Gold 2012 Saudi Arabia
Bronze 2002 Kuwait
African Nations Championship
Gold 2018 Morocco
Gold 2020 Cameroon
Mediterranean Games
Gold 1983 Casablanca
Arab Games
Gold 1961 Casablanca
Gold 1976 Damascus
Silver 1985 Rabat

The Morocco national football team (Arabic: المنتخب المغربي لكرة القدم) represents Morocco in men's international football, and is controlled by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Morocco.

One of Africa's most successful national football teams, Morocco won the 1976 African Cup of Nations, two African Nations Championships and a FIFA Arab Cup while participating in the FIFA World Cup six times. They made history in 1986, when they became the first African team to finish top of a group at a World Cup and the first African team to reach the knockout stages. However, they lost to West Germany 1–0.

Morocco defied all expectations at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, topping their group containing Croatia, Canada and Belgium. Morocco also eliminated Spain and Portugal to become the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, They were also the third ever World Cup semi-finalist not from Europe or South America. Morocco were knocked out by France in the semi-finals and lost the third place play-off to Croatia, therefore finishing in 4th-place, their highest ever finish. Morocco is set to become the second African nation, the second MENA nation, the first North African nation and the first Amazigh nation to host the World Cup when it was granted host status for the 2030 edition alongside the two European countries Portugal and Spain.

The Atlas Lions were ranked 10th in the FIFA World Rankings in April 1998. They were ranked as the top African national team for three consecutive years, from 1997 to 1999, and again since December 2022. As of July 2024, Morocco is ranked as the 13th best national team in the world.

History

Pre-independence period

Sélection régional du Maroc 1942
Morocco national team in 1942 with Larbi Benbarek

The Moroccan national team was founded in 1928 and played its first game on 22 December of that year against the B team of France, to whom it lost 2–1. This team, formed by the best footballers of the LMFA or the Moroccan Football League (settlers or natives), was active in friendly matches against other North African teams such as those of Algeria and Tunisia. These associations of settler clubs and local footballers, in addition to having their own championship, clashed with each other in a tournament that Morocco won several times, such as in 1948–1949.

The LMFA also faced some club teams such as NK Lokomotiva Zagreb in January 1950, as well as France A and France B. Against France A the LMFA made a 1–1 draw in Casablanca in 1941.

On 9 September 1954, an earthquake struck the Algerian region of Orléansville (now Chlef) and caused the destruction of the city and the death of over 1,400 people. On 7 October 1954, the French Football Association and the Maghreb inhabitants organized a charity match to raise funds for the families of the victims of the catastrophic event. In the match, held at the Parc de Princes in Paris, a team made up of Moroccans, Algerians and Tunisians played against the national team of France. Led by star Larbi Benbarek, the Maghreb selection managed to win 3–2, a month before the Toussaint Rouge attacks by the Algerian National Liberation Front which marked the beginning of the Algerian War.

Beginning of Morocco (1955–1963)

Massoun ou Masson Mohamed Entraineur de l'Equype National du Maroc de Novembre 1960 à Novembre 1967 ; égaleùent Entraineur de l'Equipe du WYDAD de Casablanca de 1953 à 1969 02
Mohamed Massoun, Morocco's coach in the 1960s

In 1955, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was established, at the end of the French protectorate of Morocco, which had lasted since 1912.

On 19 October 1957, at the 2nd edition of the Arab Games in Lebanon, Morocco made its debut as an independent country against Iraq, at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, and drew 3–3. At the tournament, Morocco took the first win in its history against Libya, winning 5–1, then beat Tunisia 3–1 to reach the semi-finals. After a 1–1 draw with Syria, lots were drawn to decide who would progress to the final, and Syria were selected at Morocco's expense. Morocco withdrew from the third-place play-off against Lebanon and finished fourth overall.

Between 1957 and 1958, Morocco held numerous friendly matches against the National Liberation Front team, the representative of Algeria before its independence in 1958. In 1959, the team took part for the first time in an international competition, the qualifying rounds of the 1960 Rome Olympics. Drawn into a group with Tunisia and Malta, Morocco finished second on goal difference and failed to progress. That same year, the football federation of Morocco joined FIFA.

In 1960, Morocco competed in World Cup qualification for the first time. Drawn against Tunisia in the first round, Morocco won the first leg 2–1, while Tunisia won the second leg 2–1. A play-off held in Palermo, Italy also finished in a tie, so a coin toss was used to determine who progressed. Morocco won the toss, and beat Ghana 1–0 on aggregate to reach the inter-continental play-offs. Drawn against Spain, Morocco lost 4–2 on aggregate and thus failed to qualify.

In 1961, Morocco held the Pan-Arab Games and won the football tournament, winning all five of their matches. Their third match, against Saudi Arabia, resulted in Morocco's biggest-ever victory, winning 13–1. They also claimed their first two wins against a European team, beating East Germany 2–1 and 2–0.

In 1963, the Moroccan team came close to qualifying for the African Cup of Nations. In the decisive play-off against Tunisia, they were defeated 4–1 in Tunis and won 4–2 at home, therefore being eliminated. At the Mediterranean Games in Naples 1963, they finished fourth after a 2–1 defeat in the final for third place against Spain's reserve team.

First appearances in international competitions (1963–1976)

Morocco participated in the final phase of an international competition for the first time at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Having qualified under the leadership of manager Mohamed Massoun, the Moroccans were included in a group of three teams due to the withdrawal of North Korea. Morocco lost both their matches, against Hungary (6–0, the team's worst-ever defeat) and Yugoslavia (3–1, despite taking the lead in the second minute via Ali Bouachra).

In 1966, the Moroccan Football Association joined the Confederation of African Football and was able to participate in the competitions organized by the CAF.

In 1968 and 1969, the team was engaged in qualifying for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Their debut eliminated Senegal (1–0) and Tunisia after a draw. In the final round of the preliminaries, against Sudan and Nigeria, Morocco obtained five points, finishing ahead of Nigeria. Shortly after, Morocco lost the decisive play-off against Algeria to enter the final stage of the 1970 Africa Cup of Nations.

Morocco thus became the first African national team to qualify for the World Cup after having played in an elimination tournament. The Moroccan team, coached by the Yugoslav Blagoje Vidinić, consisted entirely of players in the Moroccan league, including Driss Bamous and Ahmed Faras.

On 3 June 1970, against West Germany, Morocco opened the scoring with a goal in the 21st minute of the game scored by Houmane Jarir. In the second half, however, the Germans scored twice and won 2–1. The Atlas Lions then played against Peru, conceding three goals in ten minutes to lose 3–0. On 11 June 1970, the eliminated Moroccans drew with Bulgaria 1–1. It was the first point obtained by an African national team at the World Cup.

In 1972 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, the Atlas Lions ousted Algeria, then faced Egypt, beating them 3–0 in the first leg and suffering a 3–2 defeat on the way back. Despite this, they qualified for the final phase of the continental tournament for the first time. In the group stage, they accumulated three 1–1 draws against Congo, Sudan and Zaire and were eliminated in the first round. All three Moroccan goals were scored by Ahmed Faras.

Qualifying for the 1972 Olympics with two wins and two draws, Morocco debuted in Group A with a goalless draw against the United States, then lost 3–0 against hosts West Germany and defeated Malaysia 6–0 with a Faras hat-trick, thereby advancing to the second round. Due to defeats against USSR (3–0), Denmark (3–1) and Poland (5–0), they were eliminated from the tournament; finishing bottom of their group. To date, this result remains the best performance of the Atlas Lions at the Olympic football tournament.

In the 1974 World Cup qualifiers, Morocco successfully passed three qualifying rounds before entering the final round alongside Zambia and Zaire. Losing 4–0 away against Zambia, the Moroccans bounced back in the second game, defeating the same opponent 2–0 at home. They then went to Zaire for their third game but lost 3–0, conceding all three goals in the second half, with Faras leaving the field due to injury. Morocco filed an appeal, trying to get the match to be replayed; it was dismissed by FIFA. In protest, Morocco withdrew from the qualifiers causing the Atlas Lions to miss their final game at home against Zaire which had already qualified for the finals, with FIFA awarding Zaire a 2–0 win on walkover. For the same reason, Morocco also decided not to take part in the 1974 African Cup of Nations qualification.

In 1974, Morocco played only two games, both against Algeria, achieving a 2–0 win and a 0–0 draw. Morocco then resumed its regular FIFA and CAF competitions, qualifying for the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations by eliminating Ghana in the last round, but failed to qualify for the 1976 Olympics, being eliminated by Nigeria.

Between successes and defeats (1976–1986)

Morocco, coached by the Romanian Virgil Mărdărescu and captained by Faras, took the continental throne at 1976 African Cup of Nations, in only the country's second participation in the competition. Ahmed Makrouh scored in the final to equalize at 1–1, which gave Morocco the first, and to date, only cup in its history.

After failing to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, they also did not make 1978 and 1982. At the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations, they were eliminated in the first round, while at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations they finished in third place, beating Egypt 2–0. They then won the 1983 Mediterranean Games, played at home, thanks to a 3–0 win in the final against Turkey B.

Morocco did not qualify for either the 1982 or 1984 Africa Cup of Nations. Two years later, they finished fourth, losing 3–2 in the third-place play-off to Ivory Coast.

Golden generation (1986–2000)

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Zaki (C)
Bouyahyaoui
El Biyaz
Khalifa
Lamriss
El Haddaoui
Dolmy
Bouderbala
Khairi
Timoumi
Merry
Morocco typical starting line-up at the 1986 FIFA World Cup

Morocco qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup which took place in Mexico, and surprisingly topped a group with Portugal, England and Poland, thanks to two draws against the English and Polish and a 3–1 win against the Portuguese. However, they were narrowly eliminated by West Germany in the first knockout round, thanks to a goal from Lothar Matthäus one minute from the end of regulation time. Morocco became the first African and Arab national team to advance from the first round of the World Cup.

Two years later, the Moroccan team presented itself at the 1988 African Cup of Nations as a host country with high expectations. After winning in the first round, they were eliminated in the semifinals by Cameroon and finished in fourth place after losing the third-place play-off against Algeria 1–1 after extra time, 4–3 after penalties.

Failure to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup opened a period of crisis. In the 1992 African Cup of Nations, the team was eliminated in the first round. They then did not participate in the 1994 or 1996 African Cup tournaments. They, however, did qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States and the 1998 tournament in France.

At the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations, after winning their group, Morocco were defeated by South Africa 2–1.

Difficult years (2006–2017)

Morocco vs Niger, February 09 2011-1
Morocco national team in 2011

Morocco took part in the 2004 African Cup of Nations, drawn into Group D defeating Nigeria 1–0, defeating Benin 4–0 and drawing 1–1 with South Africa. Morocco qualified to the knockout stages, facing Algeria; they eventually won 3–1 in extra time, and 4–0 against Mali in the semi-final. They lost the 2004 African Cup of Nations Final against Tunisia 2–1.

In 2012, the national team won the Arab Cup, topping their group, defeating Iraq in the semi-final and Libya in the final.

In 2014, Morocco debuted in the African Nations Championship after failing to qualify in the 2009 and 2011 editions. Led by coach Hassan Benabicha, Morocco were eliminated in the second round after losing 4–3 to Nigeria in the quarter-finals. They managed to qualify for the 2016 African Nations Championship, but were eliminated in the group stages. Morocco hosted the 2018 African Nations Championship, which included a victory for the home nation, the third North African country to win the competition's title.

Second golden generation (2017–present)

Iran-Morocco by soccer.ru 14
Morocco starting XI against Iran in the 2018 World Cup

Morocco returned to the World Cup after a 20-year absence in 2018. The North Africans were drawn in Group B with World Cup favourites Spain, Portugal, and Iran. In their opening game against Iran, Morocco showed full dedication but lost 1–0 in the final minutes of the match, scored by an own goal. In their second game, Morocco faced Portugal but ended losing 1–0 by a goal scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. In the last match against Spain they took the lead 2–1 but was unable to keep it, and drew 2–2, scored by Khalid Boutaïb and Youssef En-Nesyri.

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Zniti
Bouftini
Boutouil
Namsaoui
El Moussaoui
Jabrane
Bemammer
Rahimi
Sadaoui
Hafidi
El Kaabi (C)
Morocco starting line-up against Mali at the 2020 African Nations Championship Final, a match they won 2–0.

Morocco entered the 2019 AFCON with high confidence and players claiming them to be the favorite to win. However, in spite of three straight group stage wins, Morocco were shockingly knocked out by Benin in the round of sixteen.

At the 2020 African Nations Championship in Cameroon, Morocco won their second CHAN title, in its second consecutive final appearance. Captained by Ayoub El Kaabi, they defeated Togo (1–0), Rwanda (0–0), the Uganda (5–2), Zambia (3–1), and Cameroon (4–0) on the way to a final against Mali in Yaoundé. Morocco won 2–0, with both goals scored late into the second half by Soufiane Bouftini and Ayoub El Kaabi. Morocco thus became the first team to win back-to-back titles. Soufiane Rahimi went on to be named Total Man of the tournament after an astonishing performance scoring a total of 5 goals.

In December 2021, Morocco started its venture at the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup's Group C, along with Jordan, Palestine and Saudi Arabia. Morocco opened the tournament with a 4–0 win against Palestine, Morocco then managed to overcome a highly defensive Jordan with another 4–0 triumph, They won their final match in a 1–0 victory against Saudi Arabia. they were eliminated in the quarter-final after penalty-shootout against Algeria.

After easily topping their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification group which consisted of Mauritania, Burundi, and Central African Republic, Morocco were one of the favorites to win the 2021 edition of the tournament hosted in Cameroon. Morocco were drawn into group E that included Gabon, Ghana and Comoros. Morocco won its first game against Ghana scored by Sofiane Boufal in the final minutes of the game. In their second game against Comoros, they claimed a 2–0 victory. Their final match against Gabon ended in a draw, making Morocco reach the round of 16 after ending up first in the group. They defeated Malawi 2–1 in the round of 16. They were eliminated in the quarter-final after a 2–1 loss against Egypt.

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Aguerd
Saïss (C)
Hakimi
Mazraoui
Amrabat
Ounahi
Amallah
Boufal
En-Nesyri
Morocco typical starting line-up at the 2022 World Cup

After qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by winning the third round of CAF qualifiers, the team was drawn in Group F along with Croatia, Belgium, and Canada. Morocco were not expected to qualify, but after holding previous runners-up Croatia to a 0–0 draw and shocking previous third place Belgium 2–0, a 2–1 win over Canada meant they finished top of the group and advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 1986. In the round of 16, they met Spain, drawing 0–0. In the subsequent penalty shootout, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved two penalties, and Achraf Hakimi scored the decisive penalty with a panenka penalty for Morocco to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time. They advanced further to the semi-finals winning against favourite Portugal, 1–0, with a powerful header by Youssef En-Nesyri. That made Morocco the first African and Arab team to qualify for the semi-finals.

However, they lost to France in the semi-final, 2–0 on 14 December at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, putting an end to Morocco's World Cup run. They played Croatia in the third place play-off on 17 December at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al-Rayyan, a rematch of the earlier group stage meeting. They lost 2–1 to the latter, and ended their World Cup campaign at fourth place. The team would go on to donate their entire World Cup earnings from the tournament to charities within Morocco that help with poverty that affects children and families in the country by the earthquake.

Home stadium

From 2011, the Atlas Lions played most of their matches in the new Marrakesh Stadium, which has a capacity of 45,240 seats. The stadium is considered to bring luck to the Moroccan team; they won several matches there in front of a large audience, notably beating Algeria 4–0 in qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

During Ezzaki Badou's tenure as coach from 2014 to 2016, Morocco played most of its matches at the Adrar stadium in Agadir, which has a capacity of 45,480. A friendly was played there during the tenure of Hervé Renard between Morocco and the Netherlands in 2017.

Morocco also has other large stadiums built in the 2000s such as the Fez Stadium which has 45,000 seats and which hosts the two clubs of the city: MAS Fez and Wydad de Fès.

Kit suppliers

Morocco's home colours are most red shirts and green shorts and socks, away colours are usually all white or all green.

Kit provider Period
Germany Adidas 1976–1993
Italy Lotto 1994–1997
Germany Puma 1998–2002
United States Nike 2003–2006
Germany Puma 2007–2011
Germany Adidas 2012–2019
Germany Puma 2019–present

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Morocco Walid Regragui
Assistant coach Morocco Rachid Benmahmoud
Morocco Gharib Amzine
Goalkeeping coach Morocco Houcine Mouelhi
Fitness coach Morocco Aymen Chabane
Video Analyst Morocco Moussa El Habachi
Technical director Morocco Abdelilah Moussaoui
Morocco Fathi Jamal

Coaching history

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Gabon and Lesotho, on 15 and 18 November 2024 respectively.

Caps and goals are correct as of 18 November 2024, after the match against  Lesotho.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Yassine Bounou (1991-04-05) 5 April 1991 (age 33) 71 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
12 1GK Munir Mohamedi (1989-05-10) 10 May 1989 (age 35) 49 0 Morocco RS Berkane
27 1GK Ayoub El Khayati (1998-01-31) 31 January 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Morocco FAR Rabat
22 1GK Salaheddine Chihab (1993-02-23) 23 February 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Morocco MAS Fez

2 2DF Achraf Hakimi (1998-11-04) 4 November 1998 (age 26) 82 10 France Paris Saint-Germain
5 2DF Nayef Aguerd (1996-03-30) 30 March 1996 (age 28) 53 1 Spain Real Sociedad
3 2DF Noussair Mazraoui (1997-11-14) 14 November 1997 (age 27) 31 2 England Manchester United
25 2DF Yahia Attiyat Allah (1995-03-02) 2 March 1995 (age 29) 22 0 Egypt Al Ahly
6 2DF Adam Masina (1994-01-02) 2 January 1994 (age 30) 17 0 Italy Torino
18 2DF Abdel Abqar (1999-03-10) 10 March 1999 (age 25) 3 0 Spain Alavés
16 2DF Jamal Harkass (1995-11-24) 24 November 1995 (age 29) 4 1 Morocco Wydad AC
26 2DF Adam Aznou (2006-06-02) 2 June 2006 (age 18) 3 0 Germany Bayern Munich

4 3MF Sofyan Amrabat (1996-08-21) 21 August 1996 (age 28) 62 0 Turkey Fenerbahçe
8 3MF Azzedine Ounahi (2000-04-19) 19 April 2000 (age 24) 36 7 Greece Panathinaikos
23 3MF Bilal El Khannouss (2004-05-10) 10 May 2004 (age 20) 19 0 England Leicester City
15 3MF Ismael Saibari (2001-01-28) 28 January 2001 (age 23) 9 2 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
13 3MF Eliesse Ben Seghir (2005-02-16) 16 February 2005 (age 19) 8 3 France Monaco
14 3MF Oussama Targhalline (2002-05-20) 20 May 2002 (age 22) 1 0 France Le Havre
24 3MF Reda Belahyane (2004-06-01) 1 June 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Italy Hellas Verona

19 4FW Youssef En-Nesyri (1997-06-01) 1 June 1997 (age 27) 78 23 Turkey Fenerbahçe
20 4FW Ayoub El Kaabi (1993-06-25) 25 June 1993 (age 31) 52 26 Greece Olympiacos
21 4FW Zakaria Aboukhlal (2000-02-18) 18 February 2000 (age 24) 22 3 France Toulouse
17 4FW Abde Ezzalzouli (2001-12-17) 17 December 2001 (age 23) 21 2 Spain Real Betis
9 4FW Soufiane Rahimi (1996-06-02) 2 June 1996 (age 28) 21 10 United Arab Emirates Al Ain FC
10 4FW Brahim Díaz (1999-08-03) 3 August 1999 (age 25) 8 7 Spain Real Madrid
11 4FW Osame Sahraoui (2001-06-11) 11 June 2001 (age 23) 1 0 France Lille

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team in the last twelve months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Mehdi Benabid (1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Morocco AS FAR v.  Lesotho, 9 September 2024

DF Mohamed Chibi (1993-01-21) 21 January 1993 (age 31) 7 1 Egypt Pyramids v.  Central African Republic, 15 October 2024
DF Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal (2006-04-16) 16 April 2006 (age 18) 0 0 France Rennes v.  Central African Republic, 15 October 2024
DF Youssef Belammari (1998-09-20) 20 September 1998 (age 26) 2 0 Morocco Raja CA v.  Central African Republic, 15 October 2024 INJ
DF Yunis Abdelhamid (1987-07-28) 28 July 1987 (age 37) 15 0 France Saint-Étienne v.  Lesotho, 9 September 2024
DF Zakaria El Ouahdi (2001-12-31) 31 December 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Belgium K.R.C. Genk v.  Lesotho, 9 September 2024
DF Achraf Dari (1999-05-06) 6 May 1999 (age 25) 7 1 Egypt Al Ahly v.  Lesotho, 9 September 2024
DF Romain Saïss (captain) (1990-03-26) 26 March 1990 (age 34) 83 3 Qatar Al-Sadd v.  Congo, 11 June 2024
DF Chadi Riad (2003-07-17) 17 July 2003 (age 21) 3 1 England Crystal Palace v.  Congo, 11 June 2024
DF Yusi (2005-10-07) 7 October 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Spain Real Madrid v.  Mauritania, 26 March 2024

MF Amir Richardson (2002-01-24) 24 January 2002 (age 22) 8 0 Italy Fiorentina v.  Gabon, 15 November 2024 INJ
MF Oussama El Azzouzi (2001-05-29) 29 May 2001 (age 23) 5 0 Italy Bologna v.  Congo, 11 June 2024

FW Ilias Akhomach (2004-04-16) 16 April 2004 (age 20) 6 0 Spain Villarreal v.  Gabon, 15 November 2024 INJ
FW Amine Adli (2000-05-10) 10 May 2000 (age 24) 14 1 Germany Bayer Leverkusen v.  Central African Republic, 15 October 2024 INJ
FW Hakim Ziyech (1993-03-19) 19 March 1993 (age 31) 64 25 Turkey Galatasaray v.  Lesotho, 9 September 2024 INJ

DEC Player declined the call-up to the squad
INJ Did not make it to the current squad due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Player retired from internationals
SUS Player is suspended
WD Player withdrew from the roster for non-injury related reasons

Previous squads

Player records

Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.
Players in bold are still active with Morocco.

Most appearances

نور الدين النيبت (cropped)
Noureddine Naybet is Morocco's most capped player with 115 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Noureddine Naybet 115 4 1990–2006
2 Ahmed Faras 94 36 1966–1979
3 Romain Saïss 83 3 2012–present
4 Achraf Hakimi 82 10 2016–present
5 Houssine Kharja 79 13 2003–2015
Youssef Safri 79 8 1999–2009
7 Ezzaki Badou 78 0 1979–1992
Youssef En-Nesyri 78 23 2016–present
9 Abdelmajid Dolmy 76 2 1973–1988
10 Youssef Chippo 73 9 1996–2006

Top goalscorers

Ahmed Faras, Le360 - Jun 10, 2019
Ahmed Faras is Morocco's top scorer with 36 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ahmed Faras 36 94 0.38 1966–1979
2 Salaheddine Bassir 27 59 0.46 1994–2002
3 Ayoub El Kaabi 26 52 0.39 2018–present
4 Hakim Ziyech 25 64 0.39 2015–present
5 Youssef En-Nesyri 23 78 0.29 2016–present
6 Abdeljalil Hadda 19 49 0.39 1995–2002
7 Hassan Amcharrat 18 39 0.46 1971–1979
Marouane Chamakh 18 65 0.28 2003–2014
9 Abdeslam Laghrissi 17 35 0.49 1984–1995
10 Youssef El-Arabi 16 47 0.34 2010–2021
Youssouf Hadji 16 64 0.25 2003–2012

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Morocco's national football team has participated in the World Cup six times. Their best performance was in the 2022 tournament where they finished in fourth place, becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Sweden 1958 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Chile 1962 Did not qualify 7 2 2 3 7 8
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1970 Group stage 14th 3 0 1 2 2 6 10 4 4 2 11 7
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 10 4 3 3 12 13
Argentina 1978 2 0 2 0 2 2
Spain 1982 8 3 2 3 5 6
Mexico 1986 Round of 16 11th 4 1 2 1 3 2 8 5 2 1 12 1
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 6 1 3 2 4 5
United States 1994 Group stage 23rd 3 0 0 3 2 5 10 7 2 1 19 4
France 1998 18th 3 1 1 1 5 5 6 5 1 0 14 2
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 10 6 3 1 11 3
Germany 2006 10 5 5 0 17 7
South Africa 2010 10 3 3 4 14 13
Brazil 2014 6 2 3 1 9 8
Russia 2018 Group stage 27th 3 0 1 2 2 4 8 4 3 1 13 1
Qatar 2022 Fourth place 4th 7 3 2 2 6 5 8 7 1 0 25 3
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 3 3 0 0 10 1
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 Qualified as co-hosts Qualified as co-hosts
Saudi Arabia 2034 To be determined To be determined
Total Fourth place 7/22 23 5 7 11 20 27 122 61 39 22 185 84

Africa Cup of Nations

Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Not affiliated to CAF Not affiliated to CAF
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Qualified, but withdrew Withdrew
Ghana 1963 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 5 6
Tunisia 1965 Did not enter Did not enter
Ethiopia 1968
Sudan 1970 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 1 2
Cameroon 1972 Group stage 5th 3 0 3 0 3 3 4 2 0 2 9 6
Egypt 1974 Did not enter Did not enter
Ethiopia 1976 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 11 6 6 4 0 2 13 4
Ghana 1978 Group stage 6th 3 1 1 1 2 4 Qualified as defending champions
Nigeria 1980 Third place 3rd 5 2 1 2 4 3 4 2 1 1 14 5
Libya 1982 Did not qualify 4 3 0 1 8 4
Ivory Coast 1984 4 1 2 1 4 2
Egypt 1986 Fourth place 4th 5 1 2 2 4 5 2 1 1 0 1 0
Morocco 1988 Fourth place 4th 5 1 3 1 3 3 Qualified as hosts
Algeria 1990 Did not qualify 2 0 2 0 1 1
Senegal 1992 Group stage 9th 2 0 1 1 1 2 6 4 0 2 11 4
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify 6 2 2 2 5 4
South Africa 1996 4 1 1 2 2 4
Burkina Faso 1998 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 1 1 6 3 6 4 2 0 10 1
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Group stage 11th 3 1 1 1 1 2 4 2 2 0 6 4
Mali 2002 9th 3 1 1 1 3 4 6 3 1 2 5 4
Tunisia 2004 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 14 4 6 5 1 0 10 0
Egypt 2006 Group stage 13th 3 0 2 1 0 1 10 5 5 0 17 7
Ghana 2008 11th 3 1 0 2 7 6 4 3 1 0 6 1
Angola 2010 Did not qualify 10 3 3 4 14 13
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 Group stage 12th 3 1 0 2 4 5 6 3 2 1 8 2
South Africa 2013 10th 3 0 3 0 3 3 2 1 0 1 4 2
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Disqualified Originally qualified as hosts, then disqualified
Gabon 2017 Quarter-finals 7th 4 2 0 2 4 3 6 5 1 0 10 1
Egypt 2019 Round of 16 9th 4 3 1 0 4 1 6 3 2 1 8 3
Cameroon 2021 Quarter-finals 5th 5 3 1 1 8 5 6 4 2 0 10 1
Ivory Coast 2023 Round of 16 11th 4 2 1 1 5 3 4 3 0 1 8 3
Morocco 2025 Qualified as hosts Qualified as hosts
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total 1 Title 20/35 74 29 25 20 87 66 122 66 31 25 190 84

African Nations Championship

African Nations Championship Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Ivory Coast 2009 Did not qualify 4 1 2 1 5 6
Sudan 2011 2 0 2 0 3 3
South Africa 2014 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 2 1 7 6 2 1 1 0 1 0
Rwanda 2016 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 4 2 4 3 1 0 11 3
Morocco 2018 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 16 2 2 1 1 0 4 2
Cameroon 2020 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 15 3 2 1 1 0 3 0
Algeria 2022 Qualified, but withdrew Qualified automatically
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2024 Qualified Qualified automatically
Total 2 titles 4/6 19 12 5 2 42 13 16 7 8 1 27 14

Olympic games

Summer Olympics
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
1896–1956 Not affiliated
Italy 1960 Did not qualify
Japan 1964 Round 1 13 2 0 0 2 1 9
Mexico 1968 Qualified, but withdrew
West Germany 1972 Round 2 8 6 1 1 4 7 14
Canada 1976 Did not qualify
Soviet Union 1980
United States 1984 Round 1 12 3 1 0 2 1 4
South Korea 1988 Did not qualify
Since 1992 See Morocco national under-23 football team
Total Round 2 7/26 23 3 5 15 17 48
  • Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since the 1992 edition.

African Games

African Games
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Republic of the Congo 1965 Did not enter
Nigeria 1973
Algeria 1978
Kenya 1987
Egypt 1991
Zimbabwe 1995
South Africa 1999
Nigeria 2003
Algeria 2007
Mozambique 2011
Republic of the Congo 2015
Morocco 2019 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 3 4
Ghana 2023 Did not enter
Egypt 2027 To be determined
Democratic Republic of the Congo 2031
All Total Group stage 1/12 3 1 1 1 3 4
  • Prior to the Cairo 1991 campaign, the Football at the All-Africa Games was open to full senior national teams.

Mediterranean Games

1951 to 1987 senior teams, from 1991 youth teams.

Mediterranean Games
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Egypt 1951 Did not enter
Spain 1955
Lebanon 1959
Italy 1963 Fourth place 4th 4 2 0 2 4 6
Tunisia 1967 Group stage 7th 3 1 0 2 4 6
Turkey 1971 Disqualified
Algeria 1975 Fourth place 4th 5 1 4 0 3 2
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1979 Group stage 6th 3 0 2 1 2 3
Morocco 1983 Gold medal icon.svg Gold Medal 1st 4 3 1 0 8 2
Syria 1987 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 2 2
Since 1991 See Morocco national under-23 football team or Morocco national under-20 football team
Total 2 Title 7/10 22 8 8 6 23 21

Arab Games

Arab Games
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Egypt 1953 Did not enter
Lebanon 1957 Fourth place 4th 4 2 2 0 12 6
Morocco 1961 Gold medal icon.svg Gold Medal 1st 5 5 0 0 26 6
United Arab Republic 1965 Did not enter
Syria 1976 Gold medal icon.svg Gold Medal 1st 6 4 2 0 12 0
Morocco 1985 Silver medal icon.svg Silver Medal 2nd 5 3 1 1 9 3
Syria 1992 Did not enter
Lebanon 1997
Jordan 1999
Algeria 2004 No football tournament
Egypt 2007 Did not enter
Qatar 2011
Algeria 2023
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined
Total 2 titles 4/12 20 14 5 1 59 15

FIFA Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Lebanon 1963 Did not participate
Kuwait 1964
Iraq 1966
Saudi Arabia 1985
Jordan 1988
Syria 1992
Qatar 1998 Group stage 5th 2 1 0 1 2 2
Kuwait 2002 Third place 3rd 5 1 2 2 5 6
2009 Cancelled
Saudi Arabia 2012 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 11 2
Qatar 2021 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 1 0 11 2
Qatar 2025 To be determined
Qatar 2029
Qatar 2033
Total 1 Title 4/10 16 9 4 3 29 12

Minor tournaments

Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Tunisia 1958 Djamila Bouhired Tournament Third place 3rd 2 1 0 1 3 3
Libya 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament Third place 3rd 4 2 0 2 5 5
Spain 1965 World Military Cup Third place 3rd 3 1 1 1 3 5
Libya 1965 Tripoli Fair Tournament Third place 3rd 3 1 1 1 2 1
Morocco 1966 World Military Cup Runners-up 2nd 3 0 1 2 1 4
Libya 1966 Tripoli Fair Tournament Winners 1st 4 3 0 1 4 5
Belgium 1967 World Military Cup Third place 3rd - - - - - -
Syria 1974 Kuneitra Cup Winners 1st 7 6 1 0 16 5
Malaysia 1980 Merdeka Tournament Winners 1st 8 5 2 1 15 7
China 1982 Beijing International Friendship Tournaments Winners 1st 5 1 4 0 7 6
India 1985 Nehru Cup Semi-finals 3rd 4 2 1 1 7 3
South Korea 1987 President's Cup Football Tournament Group stage 6th 5 2 0 3 6 6
France 1988 Tournoi de France Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 4 3
Italy 1989 World Military Cup Runners-up 2nd 3 1 1 1 3 4
Morocco 1993 World Military Cup Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 16 5
United Arab Emirates 1994 Friendship Tournament Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 4 3
United Arab Emirates 1996 Friendship Tournament Runners-up 2nd 3 1 1 1 4 3
Morocco 1996 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament Third place 3rd 2 1 1 0 4 2
Morocco 1998 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament Third place 3rd 2 0 1 1 2 3
Guinea 1998 African Military Cup Fourth place 4th - - - - - -
Morocco 1999 LG Cup (Morocco) Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 2 2
Morocco 2000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 2 5
United Arab Emirates 2001 Friendship Tournament Winners 1st 3 1 2 0 6 4
Morocco 2002 LG Cup (Morocco) Third place 3rd 2 1 1 0 2 0
Iran 2002 LG Cup (Iran) Third place 3rd 2 0 2 0 1 1
Qatar 2004 Qatar International Friendship Tournament Winners 1st 5 4 0 1 9 4
Morocco 2011 LG Cup (Morocco) Third place 3rd 2 0 1 1 1 2
France 2015 Toulon Tournament Runners-up 2nd 5 2 2 1 9 7
Total 6 Titles 28/28 91 43 25 23 138 98

Head-to-head performance

Correct as of 18 November 2024 after the match against  Lesotho.

Team Confederation GP W D L GF GA GD Win% Loss%
 Albania UEFA 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% 0%
 Algeria CAF 34 11 12 9 31 32 −1 47.22% 19.44%
 Angola CAF 8 5 2 1 12 7 +5 160% 12.5%
 Argentina CONMEBOL 3 0 0 3 1 5 −4 0% 100%
 Armenia UEFA 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 100% 0%
 Australia AFC 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% 100%
 Austria UEFA 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100% 0%
 Bahrain AFC 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 100% 0%
 Belgium UEFA 4 2 0 2 6 6 0 50% 50%
 Benin CAF 6 5 1 0 20 3 +17 83.33% 0%
 Botswana CAF 2 2 0 0 2 0 +2 100% 0%
 Brazil CONMEBOL 4 1 0 3 2 8 −6 25% 75%
 Bulgaria UEFA 6 2 3 1 10 5 +5 33.33% 16.67%
 Burkina Faso CAF 12 8 2 2 17 6 +11 66.67% 16.67%
 Burundi CAF 2 2 0 0 4 0 +4 100% 0%
 Cameroon CAF 13 2 5 6 10 12 −2 15.38% 46.15%
 Canada CONCACAF 4 3 1 0 10 4 +6 75% 0%
 Cape Verde CAF 4 2 2 0 4 1 +3 50% 0%
 Central African Republic CAF 7 5 2 0 19 1 +18 71.43% 0%
 Chile CONMEBOL 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 50% 0%
 China AFC 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 0% 0%
 Colombia CONMEBOL 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0% 100%
 Comoros CAF 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 66.67% 0%
 Congo CAF 6 4 2 0 12 2 +10 66.67% 0%
 Costa Rica CONCACAF 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 0%
 Croatia UEFA 3 0 2 1 3 4 −1 0% 33.33%
 Czech Republic UEFA 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% 0%
 Denmark UEFA 2 1 0 1 5 5 0 50% 50%
 DR Congo CAF 17 5 9 3 23 14 +9 29.41% 17.65%
 East Germany UEFA 4 3 0 1 8 5 +3 75% 25%
 Egypt CAF 30 14 12 4 35 18 +17 46.67% 13.33%
 England UEFA 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 0% 50%
 Equatorial Guinea CAF 5 4 0 1 10 2 +2 80% 20%
 Estonia UEFA 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 100% 0%
 Ethiopia CAF 7 7 0 0 16 0 +16 100% 0%
 Finland UEFA 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 0% 50%
 France UEFA 6 0 2 4 6 14 −8 0% 66.67%
 Gabon CAF 21 11 4 6 47 22 +25 52.38% 28.57%
 Gambia CAF 8 6 1 1 14 2 +12 75% 12.5%
 Georgia UEFA 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 100% 0%
 Germany UEFA 6 0 0 6 3 17 −14 0% 100%
 Ghana CAF 11 5 3 3 8 8 0 45.45% 27.27%
 Greece UEFA 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% 0%
 Guinea CAF 14 6 6 2 19 12 +7 42.86% 14.29%
 Guinea-Bissau CAF 2 2 0 0 8 0 +8 100% 0%
 Hong Kong AFC 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% 0%
 Hungary UEFA 3 0 0 3 2 12 −10 0% 100%
 India AFC 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 0%
 Indonesia AFC 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100% 0%
 Iran AFC 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% 100%
 Iraq AFC 10 3 4 3 6 10 −4 30% 30%
 Italy UEFA 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% 100%
 Ivory Coast CAF 22 7 8 7 28 26 +2 31.82% 31.82%
 Jamaica CONCACAF 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 0%
 Jordan AFC 4 4 0 0 12 2 +10 100% 0%
 Kenya CAF 5 3 2 0 10 2 +8 60% 0%
 Kuwait AFC 6 3 2 1 14 9 +5 50% 16.67%
 Lebanon AFC 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 66.67% 33.33%
 Lesotho CAF 2 2 0 0 8 0 +8 100% 0%
 Liberia CAF 5 4 0 1 14 3 +11 80% 20%
 Libya CAF 20 10 6 4 34 18 +16 50% 20%
 Luxembourg UEFA 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 100% 0%
 Malawi CAF 11 7 3 1 17 4 +13 63.64% 9.09%
 Malaysia AFC 4 2 1 1 9 4 +5 50% 50%
 Mali CAF 20 9 6 5 33 12 +21 45% 25%
 Malta UEFA 3 2 1 0 7 4 +3 66.67% 0%
 Mauritania CAF 11 7 4 0 27 5 +22 63.64% 0%
 Mexico CONCACAF 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% 0%
 Mozambique CAF 4 3 0 1 11 2 +9 75% 25%
 Myanmar AFC 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0% 0%
 Namibia CAF 7 6 1 0 15 2 +13 85.71% 0%
 Netherlands UEFA 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 33.33% 66.67%
 New Zealand OFC 2 2 0 0 6 0 +6 100% 0%
 Niger CAF 7 6 0 1 16 2 +14 85.71% 14.29%
 Nigeria CAF 11 6 2 3 14 8 +6 54.55% 27.27%
 Northern Ireland UEFA 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 0% 50%
 Norway UEFA 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 0% 0%
 Oman AFC 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% 0%
 [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]] AFC 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 100% 0%
 Paraguay CONMEBOL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% 0%
 Peru CONMEBOL 2 0 1 1 0 3 −3 0% 50%
 Poland UEFA 5 1 2 2 3 9 −6 20% 40%
 Portugal UEFA 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 66.67% 33.33%
 Qatar AFC 2 1 1 0 1 0 +1 50% 0%
 Republic of Ireland UEFA 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0% 100%
 Romania UEFA 2 1 0 1 3 5 −2 50% 50%
 Russia UEFA 4 0 1 3 3 7 −4 0% 75%
 Rwanda CAF 4 2 1 1 7 4 +3 50% 25%
 São Tomé and Príncipe CAF 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 100% 0%
 Saudi Arabia AFC 8 3 2 3 17 7 +10 37.5% 37.5%
 Scotland UEFA 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 100% 0%
 Senegal CAF 30 17 6 7 41 18 +23 56.67% 23.33%
 Serbia UEFA 6 1 1 4 5 12 −7 16.67% 66.67%
 Sierra Leone CAF 8 7 1 0 17 1 +16 87.5% 0%
 Singapore AFC 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 0%
 Slovakia UEFA 2 2 0 0 4 2 0 100% 0%
 Somalia CAF 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 100% 0%
 South Africa CAF 9 2 3 4 10 14 −4 22.22% 44.44%
 South Korea AFC 6 1 4 1 10 9 +1 16.67% 16.67%
 South Yemen AFC 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 100% 0%
 Spain UEFA 4 0 2 2 4 6 −2 0% 50%
 Sudan CAF 7 3 4 0 9 3 0 42.86% 0%
 Switzerland UEFA 3 3 0 0 6 2 +4 100% 0%
 Syria AFC 3 3 0 0 6 0 +6 100% 0%
 Tanzania CAF 6 5 0 1 12 5 +7 83.33% 16.67%
 Thailand AFC 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% 0%
 Togo CAF 12 6 3 3 22 11 +11 50% 25%
 Trinidad and Tobago CONCACAF 3 3 0 0 4 0 +4 100% 0%
 Tunisia CAF 50 13 28 9 53 46 +7 26% 18%
 Uganda CAF 4 2 0 2 10 8 +2 50% 50%
 Ukraine UEFA 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0% 0%
 United Arab Emirates AFC 5 2 2 1 6 4 +2 40% 20%
 Uruguay CONMEBOL 2 0 0 2 0 2 −2 0% 100%
 United States CONCACAF 5 3 1 1 6 5 +1 60% 20%
 Uzbekistan AFC 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100% 0%
 Yemen AFC 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 100% 0%
 Zambia CAF 20 12 2 6 26 19 +7 60% 30%
 Zimbabwe CAF 5 3 2 0 6 2 +4 60% 0%
Total (118) All 681 331 213 137 48.6% 20.12%

Honours

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Marruecos para niños

  • Cultural significance of the Atlas lion
  • Morocco A' national football team
  • Morocco national under-23 football team
  • Morocco national under-20 football team
  • Morocco national under-17 football team
  • Morocco women's national football team
  • List of Morocco football players in foreign leagues
  • Morocco national football team records and statistics

Other football codes

  • Morocco national futsal team
  • Morocco national beach soccer team
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