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New York mayor predicts Morocco will win 2026 World Cup
via Le Matin2 min read
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has predicted Morocco will win the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. In a prediction exercise for "The Guardian," Mamdani envisioned an exceptional journey for Mohamed Ouahbi's team. According to his scenario, the Atlas Lions would finish first in their group ahead of Brazil, then achieve high-level performances to reach the final. Facing France, finalists in the last two editions, the American political leader ultimately chose Morocco to lift the trophy. He stated, "We are going to choose with our hearts, so I would say Morocco for this grand final," acknowledging a prediction guided by both passion and reason. This prediction highlights the changed perception of the Moroccan national team internationally since their historic run in Qatar in 2022, where they became the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semi-final. Their recent continental title, a world record of 19 consecutive victories, and successes in youth categories have reinforced this new dimension. Morocco is now regularly cited among the teams capable of creating a surprise in the North American tournament. The New York mayor's prediction is part of a broader trend where observers give more credit to the Atlas Lions' ambitions. Before considering a potential final, the Moroccan team must overcome several important stages, starting with the match against Brazil, scheduled for next Saturday at MetLife Sta
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Brazil, Morocco's first opponent in the 2026 World Cup, concluded its preparation with a 2-1 victory over Egypt in Cleveland. Bruno Guimarães opened the scoring for Brazil in the 7th minute, but Mostafa Ziko equalized for Egypt four minutes later after a defensive error. Endrick secured the winning goal for Brazil in the 52nd minute. Despite the win, Brazil's defensive performance raised concerns, and uncertainty surrounds Neymar's calf injury, making him doubtful for the June 13 match against Morocco. Wesley França also left the match due to injury. In other Group C matches, Scotland delivered a strong performance, dominating Bolivia 4-0 with goals from Lawrence Shankland, Scott McTominay, and a Che Adams brace. Haiti, however, lost 2-1 to Peru in Miami, conceding two goals in the final 15 minutes. These results show contrasting dynamics within Group C as the World Cup approaches.