The Atlas Lions will be representing Africa again at the 2026 World Cup.

Morocco has made history as the first African nation to qualify for next year’s edition, defeating Niger 5-0 on Friday, which crowned them champions of their group in the African qualifying rounds.

Morocco achieved a sixth straight win in the qualifiers with two goals from Ismael Saibari, and one each from Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane, and Azzedine Ounahi. They are the only team in the nine African qualifying groups to maintain a perfect record.

Morocco made headlines as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal in Qatar in 2022, defeating Spain and Portugal before falling to France, also losing the third-place match against the Netherlands.

Fans can anticipate an impressive performance by Morocco in the upcoming World Cup, marking their seventh appearance in the tournament. The squad includes notable stars such as PSG’s Achraf Hakimi and Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz.

Morocco is also aiming to head into the summer on a winning note, as they are strong contenders for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament taking place in December and January, which will conclude in Rabat on January 18.