Morocco's Atlas Lions' 2026 World Cup journey: key statistics and player performances
via Le Matin3 min read
Morocco's Atlas Lions reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, a tournament expanded to 48 teams. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who took charge 98 days before the event, led the team through six matches. In the group stage, Morocco finished second in Group C with 7 points, drawing with Brazil 1-1, defeating Scotland 1-0, and winning against Haiti 4-2. They then eliminated the Netherlands in the round of 32 after a penalty shootout 1-1, 3-2 p.s.o. and beat Canada 3-0 in the round of 16. Their campaign ended with a 2-0 loss to France in the quarterfinals. Overall, Morocco recorded 3 wins, 2 draws one won on penalties, and 1 defeat, scoring 10 goals and conceding 6. This performance earned the Royal Moroccan Football Federation an estimated 21.5 million dollars. Ismael Saibari was Morocco's top scorer with 3 goals, followed by Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi with 2 each. Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, and Gessime Yassine each scored once. Brahim D铆az was the leading assist provider with 4, while Achraf Hakimi had 2, and Chadi Riad and Chemsdine Talbi each contributed one. Captain Achraf Hakimi led in several statistics, including touches per game 99.3, key passes 2.5, and duels won 6.8. Midfielder Neil El Aynaoui made 73.7 passes per game and was among the best ball recoverers. Azzedine Ounahi maintained his importance with an average of 2 successful dribbles per match. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou continued his strong World Cup performances, saving a penalty against Kylian Mbapp茅 i
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A recent international conference in Casablanca, organized by LOGOS, a research laboratory at Hassan II University, explored the paradox of youth political engagement in Morocco. While 87% of young people discuss politics, 84% have no affiliation with a political party. This highlights a crisis of trust as the 2026 legislative elections approach. Professor Mustapha Raoud emphasized that political participation means "having or taking one's share" and contributing to the common good. Professor Jaouad Bennis, director of LOGOS, noted a historical trend of increasing abstention in Morocco, reaching 63% in 2007. He identified three contributing factors: a distanced relationship with the political field, distrust of parties, and gender inequalities. The 2021 election saw a 51% participation rate, a relative increase attributed to simultaneous communal and regional elections. Bennis stressed that restoring trust requires more than just legal reforms. He observed that political communication in Morocco is often intermittent and disconnected from social realities and citizens' expectations. He argued for rekindling political efficacy and identification, as voting is influenced by an individual's integration into their political ecosystem. Saad Jafri, a doctor in information and communication sciences and editor-in-chief of "L'Opinion," presented findings from a survey of university students. His research showed that 89% are interested in national politics, 82% in international geopol
Must ReadThe Senegalese Football Federation FSF has announced the dismissal of national coach Pape Thiaw and his entire technical staff. This decision follows an in-depth evaluation of the national team's sporting results and future prospects, with the FSF also planning a reorganization of all national selections. Thiaw, appointed in late 2024, departs after a World Cup campaign deemed insufficient. The Lions of Teranga were defeated by France 3-1 and Norway 3-2 in the group stage, before securing a 5-0 victory against Iraq. Their journey ended in the round of 16 with a 3-2 loss to Belgium after extra time, despite leading 2-0 until the 86th minute. Thiaw's tenure also included the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal was deemed to have abandoned the match against Morocco after Thiaw instructed his players to leave the field in protest of a penalty. The Confederation of African Football CAF awarded a 3-0 victory to Morocco, pending confirmation from the Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS. The FSF is now expected to begin a new chapter, with former French international Patrick Vieira reportedly among the top candidates to succeed Thiaw, though no official successor has been named.
Morocco's Ministry of Economy and Finance has initiated a public consultation on its green financial taxonomy project. This initiative aims to gather feedback, comments, and proposals from stakeholders and the public to enrich and finalize the taxonomy. The project is a key component of operationalizing the 2030 Climate Finance Development Strategy and accelerating Morocco's international climate commitments, including those outlined in the new NDC 3.0 and the 2050 National Low-Carbon Strategy. The green financial taxonomy provides a common framework for classifying economic activities as green, based on predefined scientific and technical criteria. This will help identify climate investment opportunities and improve risk management within the financial sector. Initially, it focuses on high-impact climate sectors such as energy, transport, and industry. The goal is to provide public actors, financial institutions, investors, and public and private companies with a harmonized framework to identify activities and investment projects that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The consultation documents include chapters on climate change mitigation, covering emission reduction activities, and climate change adaptation, focusing on activities that enhance resilience to climate risks. Stakeholders are invited to provide input on proposed technical criteria, the clarity and usability of the framework, implementation modalities, and support needs. Contributions can