The Morocco national football team, known as the Atlas Lions, represents Morocco in men's international football. It is controlled by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
One of Africa's most successful national football teams, Morocco has a rich history marked by significant achievements and periods of struggle. This article delves into their journey, highlighting their triumphs and challenges in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and beyond.
Early Years and Debut
The Moroccan national team was founded in 1928, with their first match played on December 22, 1928, against France's B team, resulting in a 2-1 loss. This team, composed of the best footballers from the Moroccan Football League, engaged in friendly matches against other North African teams like Algeria and Tunisia.
In 1954, a charity match was organized in Paris to support the victims of an earthquake in Algeria, featuring a team of Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian players against France. On October 19, 1957, Morocco debuted as an independent country against Iraq, drawing 3-3 at the Arab Games in Lebanon. At the tournament, Morocco recorded their first-ever win, defeating Libya 5-1, then beat Tunisia 3-1 to reach the semi-finals.
Early Competitions and Qualifications
In 1959, the team participated for the first time in an international competition, the qualifying rounds of the 1960 Rome Olympics. Drawn into a group with Tunisia and Malta, Morocco finished second on goal difference and failed to progress. In 1960, Morocco competed in World Cup qualification for the first time. Drawn against Tunisia in the first round, Morocco won the first leg 2-1, while Tunisia won the second leg by the same score. A play-off held in Palermo, Italy finished in a draw, so a coin toss was used to determine who progressed. Morocco won the toss, and beat Ghana 1-0 on aggregate to reach the inter-continental play-offs.
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The following year, Morocco held the Pan-Arab Games and won the football tournament, winning all five of their matches. In 1963, the Moroccan team came close to qualifying for the African Cup of Nations; in the decisive play-off against Tunisia, they were defeated 4-1 in Tunis and won 4-2 at home, therefore being eliminated.
Morocco participated in the final phase of an international competition for the first time at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1966, the Moroccan Football Association joined the Confederation of African Football, and the team participated in qualifying for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
1970 FIFA World Cup and 1972 Africa Cup of Nations
Morocco qualified for the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, making them the first African team to qualify through a qualification tournament. On 3 June 1970, against West Germany, Morocco opened the scoring with a goal in the 21st minute of the game scored by Houmane Jarir. In the second half, however, the Germans scored twice and won 2-1. The Atlas Lions then played against Peru, conceding three goals in ten minutes to lose 3-0. On 11 June 1970, the eliminated Moroccans drew with Bulgaria 1-1.
In 1972 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, the Atlas Lions ousted Algeria, then faced Egypt, defeating them 3-0 in the first leg and suffering a 3-2 defeat on the way back. However, the aggregate win meant they qualified for the final phase of the continental tournament for the first time. In the group stage, they accumulated three 1-1 draws against Congo, Sudan and Zaire and were eliminated in the first round.
Triumph at the 1976 African Cup of Nations
Morocco, coached by the Romanian Virgil Mărdărescu and captained by Faras, achieved continental glory at the 1976 African Cup of Nations, marking only the country's second participation in the competition. This victory remains their only AFCON title to date.
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After failing to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, they also missed the 1978 and 1982 tournaments. Morocco did not qualify for either the 1982 or 1984 Africa Cup of Nations.
1986 FIFA World Cup and 1988 African Cup of Nations
Morocco qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, topping a group consisting Portugal, England and Poland, thanks to two draws against the English and Polish and a 3-1 win against the Portuguese. However, they were narrowly eliminated by West Germany in the first knockout round, thanks to a goal from Lothar Matthäus one minute from the end of regulation time.
Two years later, the Moroccan team presented itself at the 1988 African Cup of Nations as a host country with high expectations. Failure to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup opened a period of crisis.
In the 1992 African Cup of Nations, the team was eliminated in the first round. They then did not participate in the 1994 or 1996 African Cup tournaments.
2004 African Cup of Nations
Morocco took part in the 2004 African Cup of Nations, drawn into Group D defeating Nigeria 1-0, defeating Benin 4-0 and drawing 1-1 with South Africa.
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African Nations Championship (CHAN)
In 2014, Morocco debuted in the African Nations Championship after failing to qualify in the 2009 and 2011 editions. At the 2020 African Nations Championship in Cameroon, Morocco won their second CHAN title, in its second consecutive final appearance. Captained by Ayoub El Kaabi, they defeated Togo (1-0), Rwanda (0-0), the Uganda (5-2), Zambia (3-1), and Cameroon (4-0) on the way to a final against Mali in Yaoundé.
MOROCCO - Road to Semi Final ✪ WORLD CUP 2022
2022 FIFA World Cup
After qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by winning the third round of CAF qualifiers, the team was drawn in Group F along with Croatia, Belgium, and Canada. After holding previous runners-up Croatia to a 0-0 draw and defeating Belgium 2-0, a 2-1 win over Canada meant they finished top of the group and advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 1986. In the round of 16, they met Spain, drawing 0-0.
Morocco had an amazing run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They topped their group, drawing with Croatia and beating Belgium and Canada. They then beat Spain in a penalty shootout to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. Their World Cup journey ended with a 2-0 loss to France in the semi-final. They then lost 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place play-off, finishing fourth.
In October 2025, Morocco broke the world record for the longest winning streak in international football, surpassing Spain’s previous mark of 15 consecutive victories set between June 2008 and June 2009. With a 1-0 win over Congo in Rabat, Morocco extended their unbeaten run to 16 straight wins across all competitions, including World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. The streak, which began in June 2024, is ongoing, with Morocco continuing to extend their record as of October 2025.
Stadiums and Colors
From 2011, the Atlas Lions played most of their matches in the new Marrakesh Stadium, which has a capacity of 45,240 seats. During Ezzaki Badou's tenure as coach from 2014 to 2016, Morocco played most of its matches at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir, which has a capacity of 45,480.
Morocco's home colors are most red shirts and green shorts and socks.
Hosting Major Tournaments
Morocco will also be a co-host for the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Portugal and Spain. This makes them the second African nation to host the World Cup.
The hosting of Afcon in 2025 comes with challenges in the aftermath of an earthquake. The country will have to spend significant resources on rebuilding the areas affected.
Morocco’s strategic location and modern transport infrastructure make travel to and within the country manageable and appealing for football fans and visitors.
Honors
- African Cup of Nations:
- Winners: 1976
- African Nations Championship:
- Winners: 2018, 2020
The Morocco national football team has participated in the World Cup six times.
| Competition | Best Result |
|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | Semi-Finals (2022) |
| Africa Cup of Nations | Winners (1976) |
| African Nations Championship | Winners (2018, 2020) |
