Just hours before the quarter-final between Morocco and France, part of the French press chose to highlight controversies surrounding the Lions of the Atlas rather than their sporting performance. Security, the Hakimi affair, supposed tensions: the framing raises questions.
Morocco’s press conference ahead of the World Cup quarter-final against France was disrupted by a clash between two journalists. A brief incident, but revealing of the electric atmosphere surrounding this World Cup showdown.
After Morocco’s qualification against Canada, Brahim Diaz returns to the center of attention in Spain. His grandmother, Purificación Abdelkader, sums up his choice in one powerful sentence: the Real Madrid player is as Spanish as he is Moroccan.
A surprise semi-finalist in 2022, Morocco no longer seduces solely through its defensive solidity. At the 2026 World Cup, the foreign press sees a more technical team, capable of controlling the game and aiming even higher in the tournament.
Against Canada, Morocco must avoid the trap of an overly open match. Opta figures argue for a dense, mobile eleven capable of pressing quickly under pressure. The objective: close down Canadian corridors , then attack the spaces left behind them.
With Brahim Diaz, Morocco has never lost. Since choosing to join the Lions of the Atlas, the Real Madrid player has accompanied a Moroccan squad that has entered a new dimension, marked by results, confidence, and world ambitions.
While several former Moroccan internationals praised the Atlas Lions’ performance, Hakim Ziyech published no public message after Morocco’s qualification against the Netherlands. A notable silence at a particularly symbolic moment.
Eligible thanks to his mother’s origins, Feyenoord striker Shaqueel Van Persie finds himself at the center of a sporting battle. The Moroccan recruitment team wants to attract him to strengthen their attacking sector, continuing their strategy focused on dual nationals.
Morocco defeated Haiti 4-2 in a match full of chances. But Brahim Diaz, who started for 70 minutes, remained far from the expected influence in an encounter that was nonetheless very open.
Morocco took a serious option in its group after its victory against Scotland (1-0), Friday in Foxborough. But in the United Kingdom, the success of the Lions of the Atlas is mainly told through a mixture of frustration, regrets and recognition of Moroccan superiority.
After a promising draw against Brazil, coach Mohamed Ouahbi firmly defended the identity of diaspora players. On the eve of the clash against Scotland, he praises the decisive contribution of these dual-national talents .
On the eve of a decisive group stage clash, the British press paints a formidable portrait of the Lions of the Atlas. Scotland is about to face a ruthless Moroccan team, now perceived as a natural candidate for world glory.