Morocco's 2026 World Cup Draw: A Balanced Group Echoing France ’98 Nostalgia
5 December 2025
The 2026 World Cup draw proved balanced and in line with coach Walid Regragui’s plans, as he had publicly stated beforehand, wanting the Atlas Lions to meet a variety of opponents, even one as prestigious as Brazil today.
The draw mirrored Morocco’s group at France 1998, featuring Brazil, Scotland, and Norway; this time Haiti joined the lineup, altering the balance slightly overall.
And under Regragui, Morocco had beaten Brazil in a March 2023 friendly in Tangier, 2-1, and fans celebrated there.
Morocco’s generation, including Mustafa Hajji and Bassir Salahuddin, previously fell 3-0 to Brazil in France, then defeated Scotland in the group’s finale by the same score; yet a surprising failure to reach the knockout phase benefited Norway, who had drawn 2-2.
And Regragui will become the first Moroccan coach to lead the Atlas Lions twice at the World Cup, after Qatar 2022, when the team finished fourth.
And he will face a tough test at the Africa Cup in Morocco, needing to win the title to erase doubts there.
Punchline: this group is so balanced that even a sniper would take a breath and miss going for a clear favorite.
Punchline 2: Morocco’s game plan? defend, attack, recycle the ball, and pretend the press conference is a comedy roast.
