2026 World Cup: Morocco to Play Three Friendly Matches

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has announced that the Atlas Lions will play three friendly matches as part of their preparations for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

In the first match, the Moroccan National Team will face the Burundi team on May 26. The clash will be played behind closed doors at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

In the second fixture, the Atlas Lions will face Madagascar on June 2 at the Moulay Abdallah Stadium. 

The third match will be against Norway on Sunday, June 7, in the grounds of Red Bull Arena, New York City, with kick-off scheduled for around 3 p.m. local time.  

The Moroccan national team had played two friendly matches, under the management of the new head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, against Ecuador and Paraguay.

The two games saw the Atlas Lions securing a draw 1-1 in the first one, and a win 2-1 in the second one. 

Moroccan Team

With an age average of 25.2, the Atlas Lions enter the tournament with new blood, which can be good and bad at the same time. The lack of expertise in major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup could impact the team’s overall performance during the 2026 edition. The ambition to achieve outstanding outcomes and the willingness to learn from experienced members, Achraf Hakimi and Yassine Bounou, can play in favor of the young team.

Injuries within the Moroccan National Team, among key players like Achraf Hakimi and Nayef Aguerd, can also be the most daunting challenge in this year’s tournament.  

Guesswork 

Observers believe speculations about the Atlas Lions’ performance in the 2026 World Cup can not be made easily, especially with the presence of a new coach, Mohamed Ouhabi, as well as new players who were not present in the previous 2022 World Cup. 

Mohamed Ouahbi’s previous achievement with the U20 Moroccan team, winning the World Cup, shows glimpses of hope to be expected in this tournament, but the biggest challenge for him is to do the same with the senior team, or at least repeat the 2022 accomplishment with the current squad.

Morocco, the 8th in the FIFA rankings,  will enter the 2026 World Cup with two stars on its jersey, representing the nation’s two Africa Cup of Nations triumphs, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result of the final following Senegal’s withdrawal.