Rabat – Morocco will send 120 athletes to the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy. The Moroccan National Olympic Committee (CNOM) officially confirmed the massive delegation for the upcoming 20th edition of the regional competition.
The multi-sport event will take place between August 21 and September 3. Organizers originally scheduled the tournament for June. They later shifted the dates to avoid scheduling conflicts with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
An official CNOM press release stated the registration follows qualification rules approved by the Royal Moroccan Sports Federations. The committee finalized the roster to ensure a highly competitive presence in the Italian host city.
The Moroccan squad consists of 72 men and 48 women. These competitors will proudly represent the country across 18 different sporting disciplines.
Main medal hopes and team presence
Football and athletics constitute nearly half of the entire 120-person delegation. The football program brings 36 players, while 25 track competitors will contest traditional Moroccan strongholds.
Historically, athletics serves as the primary medal engine for Morocco at the Mediterranean Games. These selected runners will tackle demanding track events like middle-distance races and the steeplechase.
Combat sports provide another essential pillar for the national medal strategy. A combined group of 27 martial artists will compete across boxing, karate, taekwondo, judo, and wrestling.
These specific combat disciplines consistently yield a high proportion of podium finishes for the national team. The current squad carefully mixes established international veterans with rising young talent across all 18 disciplines.
This strategic blend provides crucial experience for the next generation of competitors. The 2026 Mediterranean Games offer an important platform for Morocco to bounce back from recent regional setbacks.
During the previous 2022 Games in Oran, the Moroccan delegation recorded its lowest overall ranking since 1959. The national team now aims to strongly consolidate its athletic standing before upcoming continental qualifiers begin next year.
