World Cup: Morocco to face Madagascar Before Departure to the United States

Morocco will play one final friendly against Madagascar before heading to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The fixture was confirmed today and is scheduled to take place the Grand Stade de Marrakech on June 2, just days before Morocco leaves for the tournament.

For the Atlas Lions, the match will be one of the final opportunities to prepare before they fly to the USA.

Morocco are also expected to face the Burundi national football team in a closed-door friendly at the Mohammed VI Football Complex before taking on Madagascar.

The coaching staff wants to use both games to sharpen the squad physically and tactically ahead of the final World Cup squad announcement.

Madagascar could provide an interesting test for Morocco. The team is known for its disciplined and physical approach, which should give the Atlas Lions a different type of challenge before the tournament starts.

Morocco to face Norway in the United States

After the match against Madagascar in Rabat, Morocco will travel to the United States for one final high-profile warm-up game.

The Atlas Lions are scheduled to face Norway on June 7 at Red Bull Arena.

The match carries extra importance for several reasons.

It will allow the players to adjust to the time zone and weather conditions on the East Coast before the start of the tournament. Norway’s physical and technical style is also viewed as valuable preparation ahead of Morocco’s Group C games, particularly against Scotland.

The location is another important detail, with Red Bull Arena close to New York, where Morocco will open its World Cup campaign against Brazil a few days later.

Once the preparation camp is completed, Morocco will be based in New Jersey during the competition.

Training sessions are expected to take place at Pingry School in Basking Ridge as Morocco prepares for another major World Cup campaign following its historic run in Qatar four years ago.

The Atlas Lions will open their tournament against Brazil on June 13 at MetLife Stadium before facing Scotland and Haiti in the remaining group-stage matches.