Morocco are aiming to build on their historic 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final achievement and go “a long way again” at the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to former captain and national team great Noureddine Naybet.
In a FIFA interview, Morocco’s most-capped player said the current generation has both the talent and depth to challenge once more on the global stage, while stressing the importance of taking things “one game at a time”.
Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final at Qatar 2022, a milestone that has raised expectations for the squad heading into North America 2026.
Naybet said the team is not among the outright favourites, but believes their collective quality gives them a realistic chance of another deep tournament run, adding that the squad “can dream of going a long way”.
He highlighted the strength of the current Morocco side, led by captain Achraf Hakimi, and noted that the team now boasts world class players across all departments, reflecting the steady rise of Moroccan football over the past decade.
Reflecting on his own World Cup experiences in 1994 and 1998, Naybet also pointed to the importance of confidence and self belief at the tournament level, recalling Morocco’s near miss in France 1998 when they narrowly missed out on the knockout rounds.
Morocco will again enter the competition with heightened expectations following their recent breakthrough, with Naybet insisting that while results are never guaranteed, the current squad has the tools to match or even surpass their previous best.
