On CNN, Walid Regragui Highlights Atlas Lions’ Ambitions at Africa Cup of Nations

Morocco’s quarterfinals campaign during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside the strong performances of other African national teams in the tournament’s advanced stages, is “a source of pride and honor for all Africans,” the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, said on Wednesday in Johannesburg.

“The fact that a national team has the honor of competing in this tournament, the world’s most prestigious football event, is already an immense source of pride for all of us,” Motsepe said during a press conference reviewing Africa’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

He added that the outstanding performances of Moroccan football, highlighted by the national team’s qualification for the quarterfinals, along with the advancement of several African teams to the knockout rounds and later stages of the competition, “will help strengthen African football’s standing and reinforce the respect and recognition it enjoys on the international stage.”

Motsepe also announced CAF’s intention to convene an expanded meeting bringing together, at the request of several participating countries and tournament officials, football stakeholders and partner organizations to discuss strategies aimed at preserving this continental momentum and further advancing the development of African football.

African teams delivered a historic performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with nine nations reaching the Round of 32, while Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals, confirming its continued progress after its historic run to the semifinals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Morocco climbed to a record sixth place in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking released on Monday, following the Atlas Lions’ run to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The North African side gained one position from the June rankings, reaching its highest-ever ranking since the FIFA Men’s World Ranking was introduced in 1993.

Morocco now has 1,803.99 points, an increase of 48.89 points from the previous edition, and trails fifth-ranked Brazil by less than one point.

The Atlas Lions are ranked ahead of Portugal, which dropped two places to seventh, as well as Belgium (8th), the Netherlands (9th), and Mexico (10th).

World Cup champion Spain moved to the top of the rankings with 1,995.88 points, overtaking Argentina, which slipped to second after losing the final. France and England retained third and fourth places, respectively.

Morocco remains Africa’s highest-ranked team, ahead of Senegal (18th), Egypt (24th), Nigeria (26th), and Algeria (29th). Norway recorded the biggest rise in the July rankings, climbing 12 places to 19th, while Tunisia registered the largest drop, falling 12 places to 57th.

Spain also posted the largest points gain (+121.17), while Panama recorded the biggest points loss (-60.74).

Morocco national football team head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on Tuesday in Salé that the Atlas Lions’ campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a source of pride given the quality of football the team displayed throughout the tournament.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maamoura to review the Atlas Lions’ participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, Ouahbi said the team’s ambition had been to go as far as possible in the competition. However, he noted that their quarter-final exit against France also offers an opportunity to reflect on the right questions in order to continue improving in the future.

Assessing the Atlas Lions’ performance in the quarter-final against France, the coach said, “We lacked attacking penetration and could have done more to disrupt France’s game. They were a very strong opponent.”

“We came away from the quarter-finals with greater certainty, and that is the most important thing for us,” he added, noting that this will help the team make the best choices going forward.

Ouahbi praised the players who took part in the World Cup, saying they “carried us to the quarter-finals and gave us unforgettable moments,” while adding that “the players who were not selected will also play an important role in the upcoming competitions.”

According to Ouahbi, “the important thing is to continue maintaining high standards in player development and in the quality of the players we recruit so that we can go even further in future competitions.” He added that the Moroccan national team has the quality and performance needed to surpass its historic 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Regarding his assistant coach João Sacramento, Ouahbi confirmed that he will remain part of the Moroccan national team’s technical staff, noting that the Portuguese coach “has been deeply committed and has become attached to Morocco. His work has been extremely valuable because he brings a great deal to the national team.”

The Moroccan national football team arrived on Sunday, from Boston, at the Rabat-Salé Airport, following its participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Moroccan national team was eliminated from the competition in the quarter-finals after a two to nil loss against France, following an outstanding campaign that cemented its spot among the world’s best national teams, and confirmed Moroccan football’s continued development.

The Atlas Lions had ended the group stage phase in the second place with 7 points, edged out on goal difference by group leaders Brazil, following a draw against the Seleção (1-1) and two victories against Scotland (1-0) and Haiti (4-2).

Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad had then qualified for the round of 16 by defeating the Netherlands (1-1 at full time and AET, 3-2 after penalties), before making their way to the quarter-final round, handing Canada a 3-0 defeat.

During this World Cup, which was the first edition with 48 teams, Morocco was the only African and Arab national team that reached the quarters, ending the tournament among the 8 best footballing nations.

Morocco saw its 2026 World Cup adventure come to an end in the quarter-finals after a 2-0 defeat to France on Thursday at the Boston stadium.

Solid for a large part of the match, the Atlas Lions withstood the French assaults before giving way in the second half. They leave the competition, however, following a remarkable run.

The start of the match was highly contested, with a French team quickly displaying offensive intentions. The French created their first chance with a header, but Bounou intervened with authority to protect his goal.

Defensively well-organized, the Atlas Lions played in a compact block, closing down spaces and forcing the French attackers to drop deep to find solutions.

The French pressure intensified, and in the 28th minute, they earned a penalty following a rapid counter-attack. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to face Bounou, but the Moroccan goalkeeper brilliantly won the duel and kept his team in the match.

Morocco then tried to respond, particularly from the right flank with link-up play between Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and Azzedine Ounahi, but without any threat whatsoever to the French defense.

A few minutes later, Désiré Doué found himself one-on-one with Bounou, who made another decisive save.

Before the break, the Atlas Lions managed to better control the ball through a short passing game in order to break the rhythm imposed by the French.

Returning from the locker room, the Moroccans showed more attacking ambition, playing higher up the pitch and looking more incisive thanks to the initiatives of Ounahi and Diaz.

But France gradually regained control of the match. In the 60th minute, Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring before Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead six minutes later (66th), giving France a decisive advantage.

Despite this elimination, Morocco leaves the 2026 World Cup with its head held high.

The Atlas Lions, authors of a heroic campaign, fall just short of the semi-finals after once again demonstrating their worth on the world stage.

In the semi-finals, France will face the winner of the match between Belgium and Spain.

The Moroccan national team held its final training session in Boston on Wednesday evening in preparation for its decisive 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match against France.

The session was primarily spent on final tactical adjustments.

The Moroccan squad displayed an excellent attitude during the session, as well as optimal physical and tactical preparation, demonstrating their firm determination to secure victory and continue their run to the semifinals for the second consecutive tournament.

The match is scheduled for Thursday at Boston Stadium. The winner of this match will face, in the semifinals, the winner of the other quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium.