Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Dr. Patrice Motsepe has congratulated Morocco after the Atlas Lions secured a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the achievement as a proud moment for African football.
Morocco booked their place in the last eight with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Canada in the Round of 16, extending their impressive run on football’s biggest stage.
Reacting to the result, Motsepe praised both the players and the leadership of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
“Congratulations to the Atlas Lions of Morocco and to my brother Fouzi. Morocco is making CAF and Africa proud,” Motsepe said.
The victory sees Morocco make history once again, becoming the first African nation to reach back-to-back FIFA World Cup quarterfinals after their groundbreaking semifinal appearance at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Atlas Lions have once again showcased Africa’s growing strength in world football, combining tactical discipline with attacking quality to emerge as one of the standout teams of the competition.
Morocco’s reward is a blockbuster quarterfinal against France on Thursday, July 9, at Boston Stadium, where they will look to continue their historic campaign and edge closer to another World Cup semifinal.
The fixture also revives memories of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, when France ended Morocco’s dream run. This time, the Atlas Lions will be hoping to overturn that result and continue carrying Africa’s hopes in the tournament.
With the backing of the continent behind them, Morocco now stands on the verge of another landmark achievement as they prepare to face one of the tournament favourites in one of the most anticipated quarterfinal ties of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
