World Cup 2026: The five key men behind Morocco’s first-round adventure

24.06.26 FT World Cup

Morocco

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Haiti

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Morocco has booked its ticket to the Round of 16 at the World Cup.

The Atlas Lions finished second in their group behind Brazil, collecting seven points from two wins and a single draw.

World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule

On matchday one, they drew with Brazil (1-1), then clinched a narrow victory over Scotland in the second round. On Thursday morning, they wrapped up the group stage with a 4-2 win over Haiti.

Here are the five standout performers from Morocco’s first-round campaign at the World Cup.

Hakimi, the king of key passes

The Paris Saint-Germain right-back leads the key passes chart at the 2026 World Cup.

With 12 key passes, he edges out England’s Declan Rice, who has 10, and Belgium’s Leandro Trossard with 9.

The former Real Madrid man now has 99 international caps, racking up 12 goals and 20 assists along the way.

Diaz, 4th best provider

The Real Madrid midfielder has delivered two assists in the tournament, against Brazil and Scotland.

He trails four players in the assists ranking: France’s Michael Olise, Sweden’s Alexander Isak, and Brazil’s Bruno Guimarães, each with three assists.

A Moroccan international since 2024, he has 29 caps, 14 goals, and 4 assists to his name.

El Aynaoui, 4th best tackler

The AS Roma defensive midfielder ranks as the fourth best tackler at the World Cup with 12 successful tackles.

He is behind Paraguay’s Juan Cáceres (14 tackles), Egypt’s Mohanad Lasheen (13 tackles), and Haiti’s Danley Jean Jacques (13 tackles).

In 19 matches for the Atlas Lions, he has scored twice—against Ecuador and Paraguay.

Saibari, 5th top scorer

The future Bayern Munich signing sits fifth in the 2026 World Cup top scorers’ list.

The 25-year-old has netted three goals—against Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti.

The Terrassa native has played 33 internationals, scoring 12 goals and providing one assist.

El Khannouss, 6th best dribbler

Stuttgart’s young star ranks sixth among the tournament’s best dribblers, with seven successful take-ons.

Only five players have outperformed him in this category: South Korea’s Kang-in Lee (11 dribbles), Paraguay’s Julio Enciso (9), Curaçao’s Tahith Chong (9), Bosnia’s Kerim Alajbegović (8), and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande (8).

The Moroccan midfielder has featured in 40 matches for the national team, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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