Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira believes Morocco have the quality to upset another football heavyweight and make a deep run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Atlas Lions prepare for a challenging Round of 32 tie against the Netherlands.
Morocco have once again emerged as Africa’s leading contenders after progressing from Group C with seven points, following a draw against Brazil and victories over Scotland and Haiti.
Their reward is a meeting with Group F winners the Netherlands, but Vieira believes the North Africans possess enough talent to trouble one of Europe’s strongest sides and potentially reach the quarter-finals.
“I think Morocco can be the team that can cause a surprise and I think they have enough individual quality to be in the last eight,” Vieira told The Rest Is Football podcast.
The former France international, who won the World Cup in 1998, believes Morocco remain the continent’s best hope of another memorable campaign, although he expects the traditional football powers to dominate the latter stages of the competition.
“But outside of Morocco, I think it will be difficult for all the other (smaller) nations to go through and get to the last four.”
Morocco have already rewritten African football history once.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, defeating several European heavyweights before eventually losing to France, who finished runners-up.
That remarkable achievement raised expectations ahead of the expanded 2026 tournament, and Mohamed Ouahbi’s side have once again shown why they are regarded among the world’s most dangerous teams.
They opened their campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw against five-time champions Brazil before defeating Scotland and Haiti to secure second place in Group C and qualify for the knockout stage for only the third time in Morocco’s World Cup history.
The Atlas Lions now face what is expected to be one of their toughest tests of the tournament against Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands.
Victory would move Morocco into the Round of 16, where they could potentially face either South Africa or Canada, presenting another opportunity to continue their impressive run.
Vieira believes Morocco have the technical ability and individual talent to trouble elite opposition, but he is less convinced they can replicate the historic semi-final appearance achieved four years ago.
“I think the big nations at the end will get to the quarter-finals and semi-finals,” Vieira told The Rest Is Football podcast.
Even so, his endorsement reinforces Morocco’s growing reputation on the global stage.
The Atlas Lions have become one of Africa’s most consistent performers in recent years, combining tactical discipline with technical quality and confidence against the world’s elite teams.
Their performances during the group stage have strengthened belief that they remain capable of producing another major upset.
For African football, Morocco’s progress represents another opportunity to challenge the traditional balance of power at the World Cup.
