Morocco announced its World Cup squad: Hakimi and Brahim Díaz lead the team, Issa Diop among the new names
The Moroccan national football team has announced a 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup, featuring captain Achraf Hakimi, Real Madrid attacker Brahim Díaz and Fulham defender Issa Diop. According to beIN Sports, head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed the final squad for the tournament being played in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The list is important because Morocco comes to North America four years after its historic performance in Qatar, where it became the first African national team to reach a World Cup semifinal. The new list shows a combination of players who have already carried a heavy burden for the national team and several names expected to refresh the defense, midfield and attack. Among them, Diop stands out in particular, a former French youth international who, according to ESPN, made his debut for Morocco in March and has now earned a place in the final squad.
Ouahbi kept the backbone, but also introduced new solutions
According to the available list, Morocco is not abandoning the core that led it to the greatest result in the history of the national team, but the coach's selection is not merely a continuation of the 2022 team. Achraf Hakimi remains a key figure at right back and one of the national team's most recognizable players, while Brahim Díaz brings creativity in the final third of the pitch. The squad also includes Yassine Bono, Noussair Mazraoui, Nayef Aguerd, Sofyan Amrabat, Bilal El Khannouss, Azzedine Ounahi and Ayoub El Kaabi, players who give Morocco experience at the highest international and club level. At the same time, the inclusion of Issa Diop, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Samir El Mourabet and Ayoube Amaimouni shows that Ouahbi wants to expand the competitive base and add the energy of younger or newer internationals. According to ESPN, Diop was previously part of France's youth selections, and Senegal had also shown interest in his international allegiance.
In defense, the attempt to balance proven quality and squad depth is especially visible. Hakimi and Mazraoui can offer an attacking dimension from the flanks, Aguerd brings experience in central defense, and Diop adds physical strength and knowledge of the rhythm of the English Premier League. Chadi Riad and Anass Salah-Eddine also provide depth in the back line, while Zakaria El Ouahdi and Youssef Belammari are among the names who can expand the options in defensive roles. Such a squad structure suggests that Morocco does not want to depend only on the eleven best-known players, but on a squad capable of withstanding the rhythm of the tournament. FIFA has confirmed for the 2026 World Cup that national teams may have 26 players each, giving coaches more room for maneuver compared with older editions of the tournament with shorter lists.
List of 26 players
According to the list published by beIN Sports, Morocco is taking the following players to the World Cup:
- Goalkeepers: Yassine Bono, Munir El Kajoui, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti.
- Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd, Noussair Mazraoui, Anass Salah-Eddine, Chadi Riad, Youssef Belammari, Issa Diop, Redouane Hahlal, Zakaria El Ouahdi.
- Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat, Ismael Saibari, Neil El Aynaoui, Bilal El Khannouss, Azzedine Ounahi, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Samir El Mourabet.
- Forwards: Brahim Díaz, Chemsdine Talbi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Soufiane Rahimi, Abde Ezzalzouli, Ayoube Amaimouni, Yassine Gessime.
The list also brings several notable absences. ESPN highlighted in the headline of its report that Youssef En-Nesyri is not among those called up, which is one of the more important decisions because the striker had for years been one of the most recognizable Moroccan names in European football. beIN Sports also notes the absence of Sofiane Boufal, one of the players who had an important role in Morocco's run in Qatar. Such decisions show that Ouahbi did not choose the squad only according to status or past merit, but according to his assessment of the team's current profile. Morocco will, by that logic, try to combine the technical quality of Brahim Díaz and Ezzalzouli with running, defensive and transitional balance in midfield. In such a setup, the roles of Amrabat and Ounahi will be especially important, as the pair can slow down the opponent's rhythm and connect the defense with the attack.
Hakimi as a symbol of continuity
Achraf Hakimi remains the most important symbol of continuity between Qatar 2022 and the new tournament. According to ESPN, he is in the squad despite recent health doubts, while beIN Sports describes him as the leading figure of this generation. His importance for Morocco is not limited only to defensive duties: Hakimi is a player who constantly changes the dynamics of a match, opens space on the right side and gives the team the ability to move quickly from defense into attack. Such a profile is especially important in a group in which Morocco will play against national teams of different styles, from Brazil to Scotland and Haiti. If he is fully fit, his influence could be decisive in matches in which Morocco will need both discipline and speed in transition.
Brahim Díaz represents a different kind of value in this team. After changing his international status and joining the Moroccan squad, the Real Madrid player became one of the names around whom a more creative attacking plan can be built. His ability to play between the lines gives the coach one more option against opponents who will try to close down space in the middle. In combination with Ezzalzouli, Rahimi and El Kaabi, Morocco has an attack that does not depend exclusively on a classic center-forward, but can create danger through movement, runs from the wings and play between the lines. That is precisely why En-Nesyri's absence does not have to mean giving up attacking ambitions, but rather a change in the way Ouahbi wants to achieve them.
Diop's arrival changes the picture of the back line
The inclusion of Issa Diop is one of the most interesting features of the list. The Fulham defender has experience playing in the Premier League, and according to ESPN he made his debut for Morocco in March after previously playing for France's youth selections. Such a profile is valuable for Morocco because, in tournament football with 48 national teams and an extended schedule, defensive depth often becomes as important as the starting line-up. Diop can bring height, strength in duels and stability in matches in which the opponent threatens from set pieces or long balls. His selection also reflects a broader trend in modern international football, in which national federations are increasingly actively tracking players from the diaspora and trying to include them before major competitions.
For Morocco, this is especially important because the national team has for years built its identity on a combination of domestic football development and players formed in European leagues. The list includes players from clubs in France, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Egypt and Morocco. Such club diversity can be an advantage if it is properly connected into a common system, but it also brings a challenge in a short preparation period because players arrive from different rhythms, tactical habits and workload levels. That is why the friendly matches before the tournament are more than a formality for Ouahbi. According to the Moroccan Football Federation, the national team planned matches against Burundi on May 26, Madagascar on June 2 and Norway on June 7 for the final phase of preparations.
Group with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti
FIFA has announced that Morocco is in Group C with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti. According to FIFA's schedule, Morocco will play Scotland on June 19 at Boston Stadium and Haiti on June 24 at Atlanta Stadium. FIFA's Group C overview lists Brazil, Haiti, Morocco and Scotland as participants in that group, while the official schedule shows that the group matches are played at stadiums in the United States of America. beIN Sports also stated in its report that Morocco opens its campaign against Brazil on June 14, but FIFA's publicly available schedule, checked on May 26, 2026, in the displayed section specifically confirms the dates for the matches against Scotland and Haiti. In such a group, Brazil is naturally the biggest name, but Morocco enters it with results that no longer place it in the role of an unsupported surprise.
Group C has clear sporting weight also because of the different football identities. Brazil brings individual quality and the status of the most decorated national team in the world, Scotland traditionally emphasizes physical strength and discipline, while Haiti is a national team that will seek its chance through energy and the competitive charge of returning to the big stage. Morocco will have to show in such company the maturity that characterized it in Qatar, but also adaptability to the new tournament format. The 2026 World Cup is the first edition with 48 national teams, and FIFA states that 104 matches will be played. Progressing from the group in the expanded system does not depend only on one big result, but on the ability to collect points and preserve goal difference through three different types of matches.
The legacy of Qatar and the new pressure of expectations
Morocco's 2022 result changed the expectations of the public and opponents. The national team that then defeated Belgium, Spain and Portugal can no longer count on the status of a team that is underestimated. According to beIN Sports, Morocco comes to the tournament with a generation from which another serious performance is expected, while the historic semifinal from Qatar remains the benchmark against which every subsequent result will be compared. That is a demanding sporting position: past success brings confidence, but also pressure to prove that it was not a one-off exception. Ouahbi's list should therefore be read as an attempt to preserve the identity of the national team, but also to avoid relying on nostalgia.
The change on the bench is also an important part of the context. In its announcement about the preparation camp, the Moroccan Football Federation stated that Mohamed Ouahbi led the final phase of assessment ahead of the publication of the list on May 26. His task is not only to choose the best individuals, but to shape a team that can repeat the intensity, compactness and mental stability of the previous cycle. In international football, that is often harder than in club football, because the coach has less time to work on details and must rely on clearly defined roles. The friendly matches against Burundi, Madagascar and Norway should show how quickly the new solutions can function alongside the most experienced players. Particular attention will be paid to how Diop fits into the defensive line and where Ouahbi sees Brahim Díaz in relation to the wingers and central forwards.
What the list says about Morocco's plan
The latest list suggests that Morocco wants to remain aggressive, quick and tactically disciplined. The defense has enough players for different systems, the midfield is made up of players who can combine duels, pressing and technique, while the attack offers more profiles than it seems at first glance. El Kaabi brings experience and an eye for goal, Rahimi depth and finishing, Ezzalzouli directness, and Brahim Díaz creativity in central and half-space zones. Chemsdine Talbi, Ayoube Amaimouni and Yassine Gessime further expand the options, although their minutes will depend on the course of the group and the needs of individual matches. Such a squad gives Ouahbi the possibility to close up more compactly against stronger opponents, and to take more initiative against opponents with less possession.
FIFA's format with 26 players per national team especially benefits teams that have a broad base of quality players. In that sense, Morocco is no longer a national team that depends only on a few stars, but a national selection with serious European and international experience in almost all lines. Still, the list itself does not guarantee a result. The biggest challenges will be the health of key players, the speed of integration of new names and the ability to avoid fluctuations in Group C. If Morocco manages to combine Hakimi's leadership, Brahim's creativity and Diop's added defensive stability, it will enter the tournament as a national team that opponents will have to take very seriously from the first match.
Sources:
- beIN Sports – announcement of Morocco's World Cup 2026 squad and the breakdown of players by position (link)
- ESPN – report on Morocco's squad, Issa Diop's inclusion and Youssef En-Nesyri's absence (link)
- FIFA – rules and explanation of national team squad sizes for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – overview of Group C at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – official match schedule of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football – announcement of the preparation camp and the announcement of the final list on May 26, 2026 (link)
- Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football – announcement of Morocco's friendly match schedule before the World Cup (link)