It’s not a coincidence. Morocco became world champion in the category Sub 20after defeating Argentina 0-2 in the World Cup final. A title that, in other circumstances, would be surprising, given the football history of both contenders. But the situation gives some credit to the ‘Lions of the Atlas’. It is not an isolated event. It is the result of a comprehensive and ambitious project.
It all started in 2010, when Morocco inaugurated a luxurious football academy in Salé, on the outskirts of the capital. Rabatwith an initial investment of approximately 15 million dollars. The complex is named after King Mohammed VI, monarch of Morocco since 1999, and a great soccer fan. In fact, much of the financing came from its stock. The center grew gradually thanks to the sponsorship of entities such as the largest bank in Morocco, AttijariWafaor the telecommunications company Maroc Telecom. The mission of the academy was to provide budding talent with a place for growth and education of excellence. Concentrate the new figures of Moroccan football in a nerve center and surround them with cutting-edge technology, top-of-the-line instructors, personalized monitoring, medical treatment and comprehensive personal training.
The academy Mohamed VI has 11 courts, one of which is used as a training ground for the older Moroccan teams. The surfaces are of all types: natural, artificial; There is even an indoor one, one for indoor soccer and one more sandy one.. Thus, all the footballers called up to the national teams are housed in the same premises. In collaboration with the Royal Moroccan Federation soccerthe property also organizes courses and programs focused on enhancing the knowledge of players, coaches and referees. As if that were not enough, the complex also It has five star hotelsfor the enjoyment of the national teams; and a mosque. The king also promoted the construction of more than 100 courts football throughout the country so that young Moroccans take that street passion to the grass and channel it into competitiveness.
But the impulse was not only infrastructural. The plan also included a strategic adjustment. Since 2015, the Royal Federation He drew up a plan to detect talent with Moroccan blood scattered around the world. It didn’t matter if they weren’t born in Moroccoor if they did not even speak Arabic or Berber, the languages of greatest national use. It was enough for the talent scouts to evaluate whether they have aptitude for football and Moroccan ancestry. The project involved monitoring soccer players who have emigrated from the country, or holders of dual nationalityand recruit them to the cause. Convince them to represent Morocco, supported by an established and concrete project. Appeal to national sentiment, despite the distance. Make the diaspora not a handicap, but a strength. This is how stars already established in European football donned red, such as Yassine Bounou (born in Montreal), Ashraf Hakimi (born in Spain), Sofyan Amrabato Hakim Ziyech (born in the Netherlands).
Morocco: emerging power
The plan has already paid off. ‘The Atlas Lions’ became the first African team to reach the semifinals of a World Cup in Qatar 2022. On their backs, they carried the entire African continent, the Arab world, and even the Palestinian cause. The team of Walid Regragui became a selection in fact of the so-called ‘third world’. The dream ended after losing 2-0 in Al Bayt against France, but the milestone remained for history. Morocco touched the top with 14 footballers born outside its borders: four in Netherlandsfour in Belgiumtwo in Franceone in Spainone in Italiaand one in Canada. The diaspora is not stateless, but ‘returns’ home in the form of pride and victories.
The inertia continued. Morocco won the bronze medal in the Olympic soccer tournament Paris 2024the first in the discipline for the country and the 26th in the historical medal table. Tarik Sectioui He used a model similar to Regragui: Spaniards, Dutch and Belgians wearing the crimson shirt. And now, the world championship Sub 20the first official FIFA title for Moroccan football. Othmane MaammaBallon d’Or of the championship, was born in Alès, France; and Yassir Zabirione of the four top scorers, is already beginning to stand out for Portuguese side FC Famalicão.
It’s not a coincidence. World semi-finalists, bronze medalists, Under 20 champions. And the 2026 World Cup is nine months away.
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