World Cup 2026 · Group CMoroccoOdds, Fixtures & Squad

Achraf Hakimi is the squad's fulcrum. The PSG captain and right-back was named CAF African Player of the Year; his overlapping runs from the right remain Morocco's most consistent and dangerous attacking outlet. A thigh injury in late April initially raised doubts about his World Cup fitness, but he returned to play the full 120 minutes of PSG's Champions League final on 30 May and was named in the 26-man squad announced on 26 May. As of the research date (5 June 2026) he is considered available.

Brahim Diaz is Morocco's chief creator through the centre. The Real Madrid midfielder — who switched allegiance from Spain — claimed the AFCON 2025 Golden Boot with five goals and makes his World Cup debut here. With Youssef En-Nesyri cut from the squad despite featuring in all seven AFCON 2025 matches, Ayoub El Kaabi shifts into the lead striker role; he scored in both major pre-tournament friendlies (a brace against Burundi on 26 May, a goal against Madagascar on 2 June), though those margins against lower-ranked opposition signal sharpness rather than competitive form. The most emblematic new selection is 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, uncapped and recently switched from the French youth system — one of eight players aged 23 or younger in the pool.

The squad picture is shaped more by omissions than injuries. Alongside En-Nesyri, Hakim Ziyech, Sofiane Boufal, and two 2022 semi-final defenders were also left out — a deliberate generational reset, with 23 of 26 outfield players under 30.

Ouahbi, 49, replaced Walid Regragui in March 2026 after winning the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup but without any prior senior management experience. That inexperience is the most-cited risk factor around this side. His Morocco press from around 46 metres from their own goal — notably higher than Regragui's deep block — within a 4-2-3-1 that prioritises defensive organisation and counter-attacking pace. The identified weakness is breaking down compact low blocks through central play when width from Hakimi is neutralised.

Morocco's Group C path runs through Brazil (13 June), then Scotland and Haiti. Six points from the latter two is the standard expectation; the Brazil fixture will reveal quickly how much Ouahbi's tactical ambition holds under elite-level pressure. Opta's modelling — from a single pre-tournament preview — puts their probability of escaping the group at around 88.8% and of reaching the semi-finals at roughly 10.3%. Most analysis places the realistic ceiling between the round of 16 and the quarter-finals.