Morocco carry new burden into World Cup: Expectation

RIYADH: Morocco head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup determined to build on their success in Qatar. But following up on the greatest achievement in a country’s football history is never easy, and history suggests the Atlas Lions face an uphill battle.

Cameroon stunned the world when they held England until extra time in the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup. What followed was a last-place finish in 1994.

Sweden and Bulgaria’s fairytale runs to the semifinals in 1994 also proved difficult to sustain. Sweden failed to qualify for the 1998 tournament, while Bulgaria exited at the group stage.

Croatia failed to progress from their group in 2002 after finishing third in 1998, while Senegal and Turkiye missed the following World Cup after reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively in 2002.

Most recently, Costa Rica’s remarkable run to the quarterfinals in 2014 was followed by group-stage exits in both 2018 and 2022 before missing out on qualification in 2026.

It is extremely rare for a World Cup underdog to repeat their performance four years later, which is why Morocco face a challenge unlike any in their history.

For the Atlas Lions are no longer outsiders.

They arrived in Qatar in 2022 as ambitious underdogs and left as the first Arab and African nation to reach the final four. Four years later, the landscape is entirely different and Morocco are expected to go deep into the tournament.

For the first time they are being judged on whether they can live up to what they have already achieved.

Unlike club football, where titles are contested on a yearly basis, international football changes dramatically over its four-year cycles.

More than 60 percent of Morocco’s 2022 World Cup squad will not be present in