Morocco failed to replicate their semifinal heroics from the last World Cup, again falling to France in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 defeat on Thursday. However, as co-hosts of the next tournament in 2030, they are already shifting their focus toward lifting the trophy on home soil.

Four years ago in Qatar, France eliminated Morocco in the semifinals, and this time the outcome was similar in Boston. Despite the loss, Morocco’s performance in the expanded 48-team tournament can be deemed a success: they became the first African nation to reach consecutive quarterfinals, eliminated the Netherlands, and gave Brazil a scare in the group stage.

The team underwent a coaching change just three months before the finals, but Mohamed Ouahbi made a seamless transition from the youth ranks, having led Morocco to the U-20 World Cup title last year. “We have a young team that wants to grow. We have talented players who will enable us to grow,” Ouahbi said after the match.

Morocco automatically qualifies for the 2030 World Cup as co-host alongside Portugal and Spain. However, Ouahbi must navigate two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2027 and 2028, where failure often leads to dismissal. His predecessor, Walid Regragui, was forced out after losing the Cup of Nations final to Senegal in January.

Morocco has a poor record in the Africa Cup of Nations, with only one title in 1976. They were awarded the 2025 trophy after Senegal was stripped of it, but that decision is under appeal. “The Cup of Nations is not the World Cup. If you’re not used to different styles, you can be eliminated quickly,” Ouahbi warned.

Source: www.aljazeera.com