2026 World Cup: "Rewrite history", Regragui wants to repeat the thrashing inflicted on Scotland in 1998

The coach of the Atlas Lions immediately referred to the last confrontation between the two nations at the World Cup. 28 years ago, in Saint-Étienne, Morocco had inflicted a humiliating defeat (3-0) on the Scots in their last match in the competition. "All Moroccans are thinking about the 1998 World Cup," said the coach, expressing his ambition to obtain "the same result as last time".

The end of the surprise effect after the feat of 2022

While history serves as a psychological lever, Walid Regragui remains lucid about the difficulty of the task ahead in the United States. He believes that the context has radically changed since the epic of Qatar in 2022. The Moroccan national team will no longer benefit from the surprise effect that had allowed it to reach the semi-finals. "No one seemed to notice us until we reached the semi-finals. But now, I think the opposing teams know us well," he analyzed.

Aware that "all eyes will be on" his team, the coach has set a clear goal: to qualify for the next round by treating each match with the same importance, refusing to focus solely on the prestigious clash against Brazil.