Morocco are through to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A 4-2 victory over Haiti on June 24 gave the Atlas Lions their ticket to the next round, with Achraf Hakimi scoring his first-ever World Cup goal during the match.

Azzedine Ounahi was named in Morocco’s 26-man squad announced on May 26, 2026, and had been a consistent presence in the engine room without a goal to show for it during the tournament.

Hakimi’s night to remember

Hakimi had his own milestone to celebrate. The Paris Saint-Germain fullback registered his first-ever World Cup goal during the same match, ending a wait that stretched across 13 World Cup appearances.

The 4-2 scoreline tells its own story. Morocco did not just edge past Haiti. They dominated, and the result keeps alive the ambition of a nation that reached the semifinals in 2022, which remains the deepest run any African side has ever made at a World Cup.

That 2022 semifinal run in Qatar shifted the global conversation around African football permanently. Morocco beat Spain and Portugal on the way to the last four, and the expectation heading into 2026 was that this was a squad capable of going even further.

What this means for Morocco’s campaign

Ounahi’s role in Morocco’s setup has always been about more than goals. His movement, his ability to link play, and his engine in the middle of the park have been central to how coach Walid Regragui wants his team to press and transition.

The 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, making it the largest edition of the tournament ever staged in terms of participating nations and venues.