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Coach Mohamed Webe has sent shockwaves through Moroccan football by announcing a surprise final 2026 World Cup squad that included the exclusion of 3 big-name stars from 2022 semi-final champions Qatar, while Spain’s presence was significantly strengthened for the Atlas Lions.
Spanish newspaper AS reports that Morocco’s 26-man roster includes 8 members with direct links to the Spanish league, either through current play in La Liga or their football past in Spain, further evidence of the close and fruitful relationship between the two countries’ football.
Vehbi revolution
Webb caused the biggest surprise by excluding three big names – Elias Akhumash, Youssef En-Nessir and Ben Saghir – in a bold decision that reflects his desire to revolutionize football for the future, just as Luis de la Fuente did with Spain and Lionel Scalloni with Argentina.
A new generation is breaking into the scene
On the other hand, the national coach has given confidence to the rising young talents, especially Ayub Bouadi, Chamseddin Taleb, Yassin Ghoussem and Samir Murabit, which clearly indicates that the future starts now.
“La Liga”… Morocco’s factory of stars
The Spanish presence is strong in the Atlas Lions squad, as the roster includes 8 players with direct links to Spanish football, in addition to around 12 players who have previously played in the Spanish league, confirming the key role played by La Liga in creating stars for the Moroccan national team.
The case of Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz and Ashraf Hakimi is one of the most prominent examples of the Moroccan scouting network’s success in attracting Moroccan-born talent from Spain, in a story that has sparked widespread controversy on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar and angered the Spanish Federation.
Morocco’s investments are paying off
The Royal Moroccan Federation has made exceptional efforts to ensure the continued development of the game through historic investment in facilities, infrastructure upgrades and academies, resulting in one of the best scouting networks on the African continent.
The cases of Ben Sghiri and Bouadi, who were first noticed by France before choosing to represent Morocco, are living proof of the success of this strategy, which has begun to worry the major European federations.
Decisive World Cup until 2030
Morocco’s participation in the 2026 World Cup is of particular importance as it is the last global tournament before the Kingdom hosts the next game in 2030 in partnership with Spain and Portugal, a new challenge for the Atlas Lions as they bid to surpass their achievement of reaching the semi-finals in Qatar 2022.
The Moroccan national team will begin their campaign next June 13 with a thrilling encounter against Brazil at the MetLife Stadium in New York, in a game that Seleção coach Carlo Ancelotti described as “a team worth watching”.
