Morocco’s Football Association unveiled a 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup that features several of European club football’s most prominent names, signalling the North African nation’s ambitions to replicate — or surpass — their historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back regarded as one of the best in the world in his position, leads a defensive unit that conceded only three goals throughout qualifying. Striker Luis Díaz — the Liverpool forward who switched international allegiance from Colombia to Morocco following a successful eligibility application — adds a clinical edge in attack that the Atlas Lions previously lacked.
Morocco have been placed in Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland and Haiti, a draw that will be viewed from Kenya’s Football Federation offices in Nairobi with considerable interest. The Kenya national team, the Harambee Stars, have historically struggled to qualify for World Cups, and Morocco’s trajectory offers a template: sustained investment in academies, a structured domestic league and strategic integration of diaspora talent.
Kenya’s own football administrators have pointed to the Moroccan model when lobbying for increased government funding ahead of the country’s 2030 qualifying campaign. The Football Kenya Federation has also been in dialogue with Confederation of African Football officials about adopting Morocco’s high-performance centre concept, which centralises player preparation and medical support.
Morocco open against Brazil in what analysts expect to be the group’s headline fixture. A result against the five-time world champions would likely confirm the Atlas Lions as serious contenders for the knockout rounds and further cement African football’s rising status on the global stage.
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