Morocco will enter Friday’s FIFA World Cup draw in Washington with renewed confidence and a sense of purpose, buoyed by their groundbreaking performance at Qatar 2022 and determined to show that their ascent in world football is no fluke.

The Atlas Lions shocked the globe three years ago when they became the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup, defeating powerhouses Spain and Portugal before narrowly losing to France. Now, coach Walid Regragui believes Morocco are ready to push even further.

“Qatar was not a miracle,” Regragui told Moroccan state television ahead of the draw. “It was the fruit of a long-term plan. At 2026, we want to go further. We have the talent, the mentality and the experience.”

That confidence is rooted in two key strengths: a flourishing youth development programme and a senior squad brimming with elite talent. Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi leads a team that includes Hakim Ziyech, Sofyan Amrabat and Youssef En-Nesyri — all established performers in Europe’s top leagues. Emerging talents like Abde Ezzalzouli and Bilal El Khannouss offer additional energy and creativity.

Morocco’s youth system has produced remarkable results in recent years. In October, coach Mohamed Wahbi guided the under-20 team to an unprecedented FIFA U-20 World Cup title, defeating Argentina 2–0 in the final to become the first Arab nation to lift the trophy. The under-17s reached the quarter-finals of their World Cup, while the under-23 side won the Africa Cup of Nations and went on to claim bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“The pressure is already there — all of Morocco wants the Africa Cup,” Wahbi told Al Arabiya TV. “Winning the youth World Cup won’t add pressure on Regragui, it will motivate him. Everyone sees Morocco today as a leader in African football, and that’s the result of a clear project.”

Beyond their competitive ambitions, Morocco’s football project aligns with the kingdom’s global vision. The country will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, a milestone that reflects its growing influence in international sport.

“Hosting 2030 is a responsibility and an opportunity,” said Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. “But first, 2026 is about proving that Morocco belongs among the elite.”

As the draw approaches, Morocco stands ready — not as underdogs, but as genuine contenders eager to write the next chapter of a remarkable football journey.

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Iran coach Ardeshir Amir Ghalenoei arrived in Washington with a delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw, FIFA said.

In a statement to Reuters, FIFA said it welcomed the delegation’s presence in the U.S. capital as preparations continue for the expanded 48-team tournament next summer, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Iran initially said the ceremony in Washington over visa issues.

While Iran had applied for nine visas for their delegation, Iranian soccer federation (FFIRI) spokesman Amir Mehdi Alavi was quoted as saying that the U.S. had granted four visas, including coach Ghalenoei.

Mehdi Taj, president of the FFIRI, was not granted a visa.

The United States has long-standing strict visa restrictions on Iranians for .

“FIFA has welcomed the arrival of the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation delegation to Washington, DC, including head coach Ardeshir Ghalehnoy, to attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw and the team seminar,” the statement said.

“FIFA looks forward to continue to work with the Federation and the host country authorities to ensure preparations for their participation at the FIFA World Cup 2026 next summer.”

Iran secured qualification earlier this year through the Asian qualifiers and will discover their group-stage opponents at the draw later on Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

-Reuters

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Africa’s nine qualified nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will discover their group-stage opponents on Friday, as the draw for the expanded 48-team tournament takes place in Washington D.C. 

The ceremony, hosted at the Kennedy Center, begins at 7pm CAT (5pm GMT) and marks the first major milestone in the final build-up to a World Cup that will span Canada, the United States and Mexico between 11 June and 18 July 2026.

For African teams, the draw represents more than just the unveiling of opponents.

It signals the first step in a campaign that many believe could be the continent’s most promising in decades, coming after Morocco’s historic semi-final run at Qatar 2022 — the first by any African nation.

Africa’s contingent is already confirmed: Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cape Verde and South Africa all topped their qualifying groups and secured automatic places at the tournament.

Under the new 48-team format, the World Cup will feature 12 groups of four, with teams drawn from four seeded pots based on the latest FIFA rankings.

Crucially for African sides, FIFA’s geographic restrictions ensure no group may contain more than one CAF nation, removing the possibility of early all-African clashes and guaranteeing nine separate African representatives across the groups.

Morocco and Senegal, currently Africa’s highest-ranked teams, enter the draw in Pot 2, avoiding some of the continent’s toughest potential opponents and increasing their chances of a favourable path.

Five African nations — Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa — are placed in Pot 3, setting up the possibility of complex, highly competitive groups.

 Meanwhile, Ghana and Cape Verde, both positioned in Pot 4, face the toughest draw conditions and are expected to be matched with a Pot 1 global powerhouse.

Pot 1 contains the strongest nations at the tournament, including Germany, Brazil, France, Spain, England, Argentina and the three co-hosts — the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The presence of Europe’s heavyweights in every group guarantees difficult assignments, though African sides have increasingly shown an ability to compete with, and even surpass, world football’s elite.

Morocco’s run to the last four at Qatar 2022 remains the clearest example, but Senegal, Tunisia and Ghana all made significant impressions at recent tournaments, and Côte d’Ivoire and Algeria carry squads brimming with top-level European experience.

While 42 teams have already qualified, six World Cup spots remain undecided.
Four will come from the UEFA play-offs, featuring heavyweight nations such as Italy, Turkey, Sweden and Poland.

The remaining two places will be settled through the Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament in March, involving Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, New Caledonia, Iraq and DR Congo.

If Leopards qualify through the playoffs, they will be protected from facing any CAF nation in the group stage due to confederation separation rules.

What African teams can expect today

The procedure follows standard FIFA format:

• Teams are placed into four pots.
• One team from each pot is drawn into each of the 12 groups (A–L).
• The three host nations automatically take positions A1, B1 and D1.
• Geographic restrictions apply for all confederations except UEFA, which may have up to two European teams per group due to its large number of qualifiers.

FIFA has also confirmed that the top four ranked teams worldwide — Spain, Argentina, France and England — will be separated across the draw to avoid meeting before the semi-final stage, provided they top their groups.

For African sides, the draw will determine not only their opponents but also their match venues, travel routes, rest periods and potential knockout pathways across a tournament hosted over three vast countries.

A pivotal moment for African football

With unprecedented squad depth across the continent and a World Cup format offering more places and more knockout berths, African football enters the draw with a renewed sense of possibility.

Whether Morocco can build on their 2022 heroics, or whether another African nation emerges as a surprise contender, will begin to take shape tonight when the 2026 World Cup map is finally revealed.

Below are the pots for the 2026 World Cup draw 

Pot 1: France, Canada, Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany

Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia

Pot 3: Saudi Arabia, Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, South Africa

Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, winners of European play-offs A, B, C and D, winners of intercontinental play-offs 1 and 2.

-Cafonline

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