By Giorgio La Bruzzo
RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – From the historic fourth place at the World Cup in Qatar and a ticket already secured for 2026, to the Olympic bronze won by the men’s team in Paris, and two consecutive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, Moroccan football continues to soar. Now comes the Under-20 World Cup triumph, an achievement that, across the Mediterranean, had only ever been accomplished by Ghana in 2009.
The winds of success are blowing strong in Morocco. No longer a surprise package, the nation has become a genuine footballing powerhouse, the product of a movement that began more than a decade ago when the government set the course for the federation to build a new model. Investment poured into stadiums and sports centres, accessible football pitches even in the smallest villages, modernised training methods, and—perhaps most crucially—a smarter, healthier management of clubs, increasingly run like businesses. This allowed private sector investment to flow in, creating a virtuous cycle that culminated last month in Chile, when the Moroccan U20s, coached by 49-year-old Mohamed Ouahbi—who honed his craft in Belgian youth football—lifted the World Cup trophy.
“It’s the fulfillment of what we started planning two and a half years ago with this group,” Ouahbi told Italpress. “It’s the result of enormous effort over the years with this generation, preparing them to perform at the highest level.” “But what makes these boys happiest,” he continued, “is knowing they made an entire nation proud. We played every match with that in mind—to make proud all those who supported and believed in us. And I think that’s what made the difference compared to other teams: we weren’t playing for ourselves, but for a whole country.”
Morocco’s U20 side is one of 27 national teams that train at the Complexe Mohammed VI de Football, a state-of-the-art facility just outside Rabat inaugurated in 2019 by the King himself. It’s Morocco’s own version of Coverciano, the cradle of Italy’s footballing elite, and the cornerstone of the Atlas Lions’ resurgence. Yet the ambition stretches beyond the remarkable milestones already achieved.
“These results are part of a long-term process,” Ouahbi explained, “whose ultimate goal is to reach the highest prize of all: winning the World Cup with the senior national team. The tournament comes every four years—the next is in 2026, and then in 2030, which we’ll co-host with Spain and Portugal. It’s clear that everything being done now is aimed at one day lifting that trophy. Morocco believes in it, Morocco is investing heavily, and Morocco is giving itself the means to succeed.”
“Now we know we have a lot of talent, we know we’re improving all the time, and that dream is alive in everyone,” Ouahbi added. “We’re all chasing it—and we truly hope to make it come true one day.” His U20 side, meanwhile, stands ready to feed the ranks of Walid Regragui’s senior team. “Several players are already part of the senior setup, and others will join soon,” Ouahbi confirmed. “I won’t name names, because there are many who are ready for that level. It will all depend on their consistency.” But one thing is already clear—to these young men and to Morocco as a whole: dreaming is allowed, and nothing is impossible.
– photo: Royal Moroccan Football Federation –
(ITALPRESS).
