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Morocco national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Morocco women's national football team.
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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 is the official men's football team for Morocco. They are also known as the Atlas Lions. The team is managed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.

Morocco is one of Africa's most successful football teams. They won the 1976 African Cup of Nations, two African Nations Championships, and a FIFA Arab Cup. They have played in the FIFA World Cup six times.

In 1986, Morocco made history. They were the first African team to win their group at a World Cup. They also became the first African team to reach the knockout stages. However, they lost to West Germany 1–0.

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morocco surprised everyone. They won their group, beating strong teams like Belgium. They then knocked out Spain and Portugal. This made them the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals. They finished in 4th place, which is their best result ever. Morocco will also co-host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain.

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

Team History

Early Football in Morocco

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

The Moroccan national team started in 1928. Their first game was on December 22, 1928, against France's B team, which they lost 2–1. This early team played friendly matches against other North African teams.

In 1954, a big earthquake hit Algeria. To help the victims, a charity match was played in Paris. A team of players from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia played against France. Led by star player Larbi Benbarek, the North African team won 3–2.

Becoming an Independent Team

In 1955, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was created. This happened after Morocco became independent.

On October 19, 1957, Morocco played its first game as an independent country. They drew 3–3 against Iraq in Lebanon. In that tournament, Morocco got their first win, beating Libya 5–1. They finished fourth overall.

In 1960, Morocco tried to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. They won a coin toss against Tunisia to advance! They then played against Spain but lost, so they didn't qualify.

In 1961, Morocco hosted the Pan-Arab Games. They won the football tournament, winning all five of their matches. Their biggest win ever was 13–1 against Saudi Arabia.

First Big Tournaments

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

Morocco played in its first major international tournament at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They lost both their games, including their biggest defeat ever, 6–0 against Hungary.

In 1966, the Moroccan Football Association joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF). This allowed them to play in African competitions.

Morocco qualified for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. This was a big deal because they were the first African team to qualify through a tournament. In their first game, they scored against West Germany but lost 2–1. They later drew 1–1 with Bulgaria, earning the first World Cup point for an African team.

In 1972, Morocco played in the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. They drew all three of their group games and were eliminated.

Winning the Africa Cup

Morocco won the 1976 African Cup of Nations. This was their first and only Africa Cup title. They were coached by Virgil Mărdărescu and captained by Ahmed Faras.

After this success, Morocco didn't qualify for the 1978 or 1982 World Cups. They finished third in the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations. In 1983, they won the Mediterranean Games at home.

The Golden Generation of 1986

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

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

Morocco qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. They surprised everyone by winning their group, which included strong teams like Portugal and England. They drew with England and Poland, and beat Portugal 3–1. They were the first African and Arab team to get past the first round of a World Cup. They lost narrowly to West Germany in the next round.

After 1986, the team went through a tough period. They didn't qualify for the 1990 World Cup. They also struggled in the Africa Cup of Nations during the early 1990s. However, they did qualify for the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

Recent Years and New Success

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

In 2004, Morocco reached the final of the 2004 African Cup of Nations. They played well but lost 2–1 to Tunisia.

In 2012, the national team won the 2012 Arab Cup. They won their group and beat Iraq and Libya to lift the trophy.

Morocco also started playing in the African Nations Championship (CHAN). They won this tournament twice in a row, in 2018 and 2020. This made them the first team to win back-to-back CHAN titles.

The 2022 World Cup Journey

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

Morocco returned to the World Cup in 2018 after a 20-year break. They were in a tough group with Spain, Portugal, and Iran. They played with great effort but lost to Iran and Portugal, and drew with Spain.

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

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

The team qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They were in Group F with Croatia, Belgium, and Canada. Most people didn't expect them to do well. But Morocco surprised everyone! They drew 0–0 with Croatia and then beat Belgium 2–0. A 2–1 win over Canada meant they finished first in their group.

In the Round of 16, they faced Spain. The game ended 0–0. In the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved two penalties. Achraf Hakimi scored the winning penalty with a "Panenka" shot. This sent Morocco to the quarter-finals for the first time ever.

They continued their amazing run by beating Portugal 1–0 with a powerful header from Youssef En-Nesyri. This made Morocco the first African and Arab team to reach the World Cup semi-finals!

Their incredible journey ended when they lost 2–0 to France in the semi-finals. They then lost the third-place play-off to Croatia, finishing in fourth place. This was their highest ever finish in a World Cup. After the tournament, the team decided to donate all their World Cup earnings to charities in Morocco that help children and families affected by poverty.

Home Stadiums

The Atlas Lions play their matches in different stadiums across Morocco. Since 2011, they have often played at the Marrakesh Stadium. It can hold over 45,000 fans. This stadium is thought to bring good luck to the team.

Between 2014 and 2016, they played many games at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir. This stadium also has a capacity of over 45,000. Morocco also has other large stadiums like the Fez Stadium.

Kit Suppliers

Morocco's home kit is usually red shirts with white shorts and red socks. Their away kit is often all white or all green. Over the years, different companies have made their kits.

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

Recent Match Results

Here are the results of Morocco's matches in the last year:       Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Coaching Staff

The current head coach of the Moroccan national team is Walid Regragui. He led the team to their historic fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Cup.

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

Current Players

The players listed below were chosen for recent matches in November 2024. Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of November 18, 2024.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Yassine Bounou (1991-04-05) 5 April 1991 (age 34) 71 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
12 1GK Munir Mohamedi (1989-05-10) 10 May 1989 (age 36) 49 0 Morocco RS Berkane
27 1GK Ayoub El Khayati (1998-01-31) 31 January 1998 (age 27) 0 0 Morocco FAR Rabat
22 1GK Salaheddine Chihab (1993-02-23) 23 February 1993 (age 32) 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 29) 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 30) 22 0 Egypt Al Ahly
6 2DF Adam Masina (1994-01-02) 2 January 1994 (age 31) 17 0 Italy Torino
18 2DF Abdel Abqar (1999-03-10) 10 March 1999 (age 26) 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 19) 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 25) 36 7 Greece Panathinaikos
23 3MF Bilal El Khannouss (2004-05-10) 10 May 2004 (age 21) 19 0 England Leicester City
15 3MF Ismael Saibari (2001-01-28) 28 January 2001 (age 24) 9 2 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
13 3MF Eliesse Ben Seghir (2005-02-16) 16 February 2005 (age 20) 8 3 France Monaco
14 3MF Oussama Targhalline (2002-05-20) 20 May 2002 (age 23) 1 0 France Le Havre
24 3MF Reda Belahyane (2004-06-01) 1 June 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Italy Hellas Verona
19 4FW Youssef En-Nesyri (1997-06-01) 1 June 1997 (age 28) 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 25) 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 29) 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 24) 1 0 France Lille

Player Records

These statistics include only official matches recognized by FIFA. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Morocco.

Most Games Played

نور الدين النيبت (cropped)
Noureddine Naybet has played the most games for Morocco (115).
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 Goal Scorers

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

Team Achievements

Morocco has won several important football tournaments.

Major African Titles

  • Africa Cup of Nations
    • Champions (1): 1976
    • Runners-up (1): 2004
    • Third place (1): 1980
  • African Nations Championship
    • Champions (2): 2018, 2020

Regional Titles

  • Arab Cup
    • Champions (1): 2012
    • Third place (1): 2002
  • Arab Games
    • Gold Medal (2): 1961, 1976
    • Silver Medal (1): 1985
  • Mediterranean Games
    • Gold Medal (1): 1983

Other Awards

Images for kids

  • Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah

    Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat

  • Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca

    Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca

  • Stade de marrakech

    Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech

  • Stade Ibn Batuta, Tanger

    Stade Ibn Batouta, Tangier

  • Stade-Adrar2019

    Adrar Stadium, Agadir

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