A year to remember for Morocco
Across the senior national team, the U-20s, the Arab Cup, youth competitions and the women’s club game, 2025 has been a year to remember for Morocco. FIFA recaps a fantastic year for the North African nation.
Victories at the U-20 World Cup and the Arab Cup mark a successful year for Moroccan football
The Atlas Lions also shone in the other youth World Cups
The team also punched their ticket to the 2026 World Cup
As an action-packed 2025 draws to a close, FIFA takes a look back over a triumphant year for the African nation.
Before looking ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ – where Morocco will attempt to surpass its sensational run to the semi-finals at Qatar 2022 – and the rest of the Africa Cup of Nations – where the national team progressed to the last 16 as group winners – tributes should be paid to the work undertaken by the nation's authorities, which has led to remarkable results on the pitch.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™ saw Morocco claim their first global title. After topping their group, Mohamed Ouahbi's team then defeated Korea Republic (2-1), USA (3-1) and France (1-1 a.e.t., 5-4 on penalties) to reach the final, where they beat Argentina 2-0 thanks to a brace from Yassir Zabiri, which included a sumptuous postage-stamp free kick and a well-taken volley. Othmane Maamma was rewarded for his excellent performances throughout the tournament as he took home the adidas Golden Ball.
Victory at youth level is not just about winning silverware, but also laying the foundations for the senior team in years to come, as Ouahbi explains: “This is the result of several years of hard work and dedication. Our king, His Majesty Mohammed VI, has invested heavily in football in order to modernise infrastructure throughout the country. It means a great deal to us, as it is a long-term project that began several years ago.”
The country welcomed this year’s edition of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup™ to Rabat and Sale, and will remain the host nation until 2029. Morocco struggled in the early stages of the competition, losing to Brazil (3–0) and Italy (3–1) before securing progression by beating Costa Rica (3–1). The team can take pride in their performances against these giant footballing nations in what was only their second-ever appearance in the tournament.
In their knockout match, Morocco suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat to Korea DPR, who went on to get their hands on their fourth World Cup title out of the eight editions held to date. Despite being knocked out of the competition, Anwar Mghinia's girls gained invaluable experience and learned valuable lessons from these high-level matches.
Their male counterparts had a similar start to the competition at the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ — losing their opening two matches. However, a record 16-0 victory saw them qualify at the last minute as one of the best third-placed teams. “It is important to make football history, whether it be with titles or results”, said Nabil Baha, coach of the African champions in this category.
The knockout stages highlighted the never-say-die attitude of his players: a dramatic 90th-minute equaliser against USA (1-1 a.e.t.), before prevailing 4-3 on penalties, and then a thrilling 3-2 victory over Mali in the round of 16. Their magical run came to an excruciating end in the quarter-finals against Brazil with Dell scoring a 95th minute winner to inflict a 2-1 defeat over the African nation and send them crashing out of the tournament.
A few weeks later, the Moroccan women made their mark indoors at the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™ in the Philippines. After winning the first edition of the African Women's Futsal Cup last April on home soil, they were drawn in a tough group alongside the host nation, Poland and Argentina, but two victories saw them progress from the group stage. However, Adil Sayeh's players came up against a talented Spain side, who ran out 6-1 victors.
After a busy autumn of international competitions, Morocco shone at the FIFA Arab Cup 2025™. The Atlas Lions remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, drawing just one game 0-0 against Oman and conceding one goal — an own goal in a 3-1 win over Comoros during the group stage. Victories over Saudi Arabia (1-0), Syria (1-0) and the United Arab Emirates (3-0) in the knockout stages saw them reach the final on the back of an almost impenetrable defence. Morocco then edged past Jordan 3-2 in a dramatic final that went to extra time.
Morocco also shone in another competition launched this year: the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup™. Featuring the winners of each continental competition, the tournament saw African champions ASFAR defeat Asian titleholders Wuhan Chegu Jiangda WFC, who had overcome Oceania’s Auckland United FC in the opening round. That 2-1 extra-time victory earned the side a place in the finals, where they will face European champions Arsenal in the semi-finals on 28 January in London.
Proudly wearing the captain's armband, Achraf Hakimi is increasingly establishing himself as the shining star of Moroccan football. It’s been quite the year for the PSG do-it-all right-back: not content with a domestic treble, he was a key player in the club's first UEFA Champions League victory. The Parisian side also reached the final of the FIFA Club World Cup™ and took home the UEFA Super Cup. An untimely ankle injury saw him miss the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ which saw his team-mates secure the title over Flamengo in a penalty shootout. His outstanding performances and trophy hauls earned him a place in The Best FIFA Men's 11 2025, while he also scooped up the Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Player of the Year award. And this is all without mentioning his achievements with the national team...
The nation's senior team produced a flawless display in the African qualifiers, winning all eight of their games and only conceding two goals on their way to securing their third consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup. Drawn in Group C of the flagship tournament alongside Brazil, Haiti and Scotland, they will no doubt be aiming to match — if not better — their performances in North America after securing a historic fourth-place finish in Qatar four years ago.