MOROCCO TURNS TO 2030 WORLD CUP AFTER QUARTERFINAL EXIT

Morocco's 2026 World Cup run ended with a quarterfinal loss to France, but the national team is already turning toward the 2030 tournament, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal, according to Reuters. The 2-0 defeat ended Morocco's attempt to match or improve on its 2022 semifinal run, when it became the first African team to reach the final four of a men's World Cup.

Reuters reported that Morocco still made African football history in 2026 by becoming the first team from the continent to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals. The run included a win over the Netherlands and a strong performance against Brazil, reinforcing Morocco's status as one of Africa's leading national programs.

The next cycle carries unusual importance because Morocco has already qualified for the 2030 World Cup as a co-host. FIFA awarded the 2030 tournament to a joint bid from Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with centenary matches also planned in South America. For Morocco, that means the next World Cup will be both a competitive target and a national staging project.

Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said Morocco needs steady development rather than a reactionary reset, according to Reuters. Ouahbi, who previously led Morocco's under-20 team to a world title, has been credited with continuing the program's broader development path after taking over the senior side.

Reuters reported that Morocco will use upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournaments as preparation for 2030. Those competitions will test whether Morocco can convert World Cup consistency into continental titles, an area where the country has historically underperformed despite its strong global ranking.

Morocco's record at the Africa Cup of Nations remains a major unresolved question. The country has won the tournament only once, in 1976. Its recent continental status has also been complicated by controversy around the 2025 title, which the Confederation of African Football awarded to Morocco after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final. Senegal has appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The 2030 World Cup will also place Morocco under infrastructure, security and logistics scrutiny. As co-host, the country will be judged not only by its team's performance but by stadium readiness, transportation, hospitality, crowd management and coordination with Spain and Portugal. That makes the next four years a governance project as much as a football project.

Morocco's 2026 exit therefore lands differently than a normal tournament loss. The quarterfinal defeat closes one campaign, but it also begins the formal countdown to the country's co-hosting role in 2030. The immediate questions are how Morocco manages squad development, how it performs in the next Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and whether it can use home-region advantage to make a deeper World Cup run.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Confederation of African Football, Court of Arbitration for Sport