Football: how Morocco has become the new global stronghold

The Moroccan national team is preparing to play its first Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final in 22 years, with the ambition of winning a continental title that has been awaited since 1976. This performance is part of a dynamic of results including a third place at the 2022 World Cup, a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games and world titles in the youth categories. Women’s football is following a similar trajectory with the status of African vice-champion and historic qualifications for world competitions, according to AS.com.

The restructuring project, led for the past ten years by the President of the Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, benefits from direct institutional support from King Mohammed VI. The inauguration in 2019 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex is the technical foundation of this rise to power. This high-performance center offers world-class infrastructure to the national teams and centralizes the Kingdom’s sports planning.

The Federation’s strategy is based on the recruitment of technical staff with significant European experience. Walid Regragui for the men’s team and Jorge Vilda for the women’s team illustrate this desire to integrate international expertise. At the same time, an expert committee including profiles from Real Madrid, such as Abián Perdomo or the Spaniard Óscar Garro, is working on the development of local players and talent detection.

The management of the diaspora is a major pillar of this model. Morocco applies a targeted recruitment policy of players trained in the main European championships, like Achraf Hakimi or Brahim Díaz. In an interview with So Foot, Walid Regragui emphasizes that this dual culture, from countries such as Spain, France or Belgium, represents a collective strength and tactical wealth for the national team.

The long-term objective of this planning goes beyond the continental framework. The Moroccan sports authorities are now aiming for the World Cup, with the ambition of becoming the first African nation to win the trophy. This professional structuring, combining state-of-the-art infrastructure and international detection, places Morocco at the forefront of world football.