Morocco coach Walid Regragui ​quit his job on Thursday, only three months ahead of the World Cup finals and ending weeks ‌of speculation around his future as he said the team needed fresh guidance.

The decision had been expected for weeks but was confirmed at a late-night press conference where Regragui said the team “needed a new vision and a different energy”.

“I sincerely believe ​the team needs a new vision to be able to progress. My decision to leave is ​for the better of the team,” said Regragui, who took Morocco to the ⁠World Cup semi-final in Qatar in 2022 and was also at the helm in January when they ​lost in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations but has quit citing exhaustion.

Mohamed Ouahbi will take over ​as coach, the Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa announced at the same press conference. The Belgian-born Ouahbi was in charge when Morocco won the under-20 World Cup in Chile last year.

The 50-year-old Regragui had been the target of supporter criticism ​despite a stellar record of 36 wins in 49 matches with eight draws and only five losses ​since taking over in September 2022.

During that time Morocco recorded the best achievement by an African country at the ‌World Cup ⁠and set a new world record for the most successive wins by a national team – a total of 19 between June 2024 and last December.

Regragui had wanted to quit after Morocco lost a controversial Nations Cup final to Senegal in January in a tournament they hosted and where they were hoping to end ​50 years without success in ​the continental championship.

He said ⁠he was worn out after almost four years in the post but had been persuaded to delay his decision until Morocco decided on a successor.

Morocco will play ​two friendly internationals later this month as they prepare for the World ​Cup, which kicks ⁠off in June. They take on Ecuador in Madrid on March 27 and Paraguay in Lens, France, four days later.

At the World Cup, Morocco compete in Group C with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti.

In a message to ⁠Regragui on social ​media, opens new tab, Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi said: “Thank you for the incredible ​work you did leading the Moroccan national team. Your leadership, passion, and vision inspired not only the players, but also an entire ​country and millions of fans around the world.”

-Reuters

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The intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been thrown into uncertainty as Iraq faces mounting logistical and diplomatic challenges that could prevent its national team from travelling to Mexico for a decisive qualifier later this month.

Officials of the Iraq Football Association (IFA) are currently in urgent discussions with FIFA after receiving confirmation that Iraqi airspace will remain closed for “at least four weeks” following the escalation of hostilities involving the United States and Iran.

According to information obtained by the UK newspaper The Guardian, the IFA received a formal notice from Iraqi Airways and the country’s Ministry of Transportation indicating that the prolonged closure of the airspace could leave nearly 40 per cent of the Iraqi squad unable to travel for the playoff.

The crisis has already disrupted preparations for the match scheduled for March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico, where Iraq is expected to face the winner of the playoff between Bolivia and Suriname in one of the decisive fixtures of the six-team intercontinental qualifying tournament.

Travel Chaos for Players and Coach

The travel restrictions have scattered the Iraqi national team across several countries, making coordinated preparation almost impossible.

Head coach Graham Arnold is currently stranded in Dubai and unable to return to Iraq due to the suspension of flights.

With air travel suspended, the only possible alternative route for players based in Iraq would involve a 25-hour road journey from Baghdad to Turkey through northern Iraq. However, security concerns along the route have raised serious doubts about whether such an option could be considered viable.

Team officials say the uncertainty has made it extremely difficult to plan training and logistics.

“We’re scattered around the world at the moment and just trying to prepare as best we can,” a source close to the Iraqi team said. “We have to plan as if the game is going ahead, but that doesn’t seem likely at the moment.”

Visa Problems Complicate Preparations

Even if travel restrictions are lifted, Iraq still faces another major hurdle — obtaining visas for Mexico and the United States.

The Iraqi team had originally planned to hold a pre-playoff training camp in Houston, Texas, but that plan has already been abandoned because several players and staff have not been able to secure U.S. visas.

The situation has worsened following the outbreak of conflict in the region, which has forced the temporary closure of several embassies in the Middle East. With Mexico lacking an embassy in Baghdad, Iraqi officials had hoped to process visas through diplomatic missions in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, but those alternatives are currently unavailable.

Officials now fear that visa applications may not be processed in time even if Iraqi airspace reopens before the match date.

FIFA Wants Playoff to Proceed

Despite the complications, FIFA has reportedly informed the Iraqi federation that the playoff tournament will continue as scheduled.

However, the scale of the travel disruption has forced the governing body to monitor developments closely.

Iraq has already secured a place in the final round of the six-team intercontinental playoff, where two additional teams will earn places at the 2026 World Cup.

The Asian side is scheduled to face the winner of the match between Bolivia and Suriname at Monterrey’s World Cup venue.

Potential Replacement Scenario

The uncertainty surrounding Iraq’s participation comes at a time when the country has also been mentioned as a possible replacement should neighbouring Iran withdraw from the tournament amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

Iran qualified automatically through the Asian Football Confederation pathway but faces growing diplomatic and logistical complications related to the ongoing conflict and travel restrictions.

If Iran were forced to withdraw, Iraq — currently one of the highest-ranked teams outside the automatic qualifiers in the region — could emerge as a leading candidate to take its place.

Federation in Ongoing Talks

In a brief statement, the Iraq Football Association said it remains in “constant communication with FIFA regarding the arrangements for our national team’s participation.”

But with the playoff date fast approaching and major logistical barriers still unresolved, officials acknowledge that a decision on Iraq’s participation may soon become unavoidable.

For now, the fate of one of the final pathways to the 2026 World Cup remains uncertain — another reminder of how global political tensions can ripple unexpectedly into the world of football.

 

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The U.S. government has yet to deliver the allocated $625 million to local authorities for security at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, a situation that a New Jersey congresswoman says comes down ​to partisan politics.

The Department of Homeland Security planned to distribute the money by Jan. ‌30, but it has yet to do so, prompting concern about the municipalities hosting World Cup games that they won’t be able to properly prepare for the event.

Rep. Nellie Pou (D., N.J.), who serves on the House Homeland Security ​Committee, told Front Office Sports regarding DHS’s delay in making the payouts, “I don’t have ​any doubt that they are using that for political reasons.”

She added that the ⁠Trump administration’s motives are “100%” political.

Pou represents a district that includes MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., ​where eight matches are scheduled to be contested, including the final on July 19. FIFA, which ​doesn’t use sponsor names for stadiums, is referring to the venue as “New York New Jersey Stadium.”

Pou added of the head of the DHS, “Secretary (Kristi) Noem is saying she isn’t releasing them because of a funding impasse. That is absolutely not ​true.”

Noem wrote in a statement last week, “FEMA was in the final stages of reviewing applications to ​ensure proper oversight when Democrats shut down the government, putting significant portions of the FEMA staff on administrative leave. ‌No ⁠funds have been awarded yet under the FIFA World Cup Grant Program. The longer DHS goes without funding, the less prepared our nation will be for threats at the FIFA World Cup and America 250. This Democrat shutdown directly impacts DHS’s ability to keep Americans safe at these events and ​our national security.

“Democrats must ​end this shutdown now ⁠and let DHS get back to our mission of protecting the Homeland.”

Other areas have weighed in seeking the release of the money, too.

The House ​Homeland Security Committee held a hearing last week at which Miami host ​committee COO Raymond ⁠Martinez said of his group’s expected $70 million grant, “Within the next 30 days is the drop-dead date. I know that the local agencies are very anxious. But without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic ⁠for our ​planning and coordination.”

Kansas City (Mo.) deputy police chief Joseph Mabin added ​at the hearing, “The … funding would be critical for our staffing and our mutual aid partners to come in and assist. ​We just don’t have enough officers within my own department to cover all the threats.”

-Reuters

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