The Atlas Lions Return
Walid Regragui confirmed Morocco's World Cup squad on May 20, and the names confirm what everyone expected: the core of the 2022 semifinal team is back, older, more experienced, and more dangerous for it. Hakimi, Amrabat, Saïss, En-Nesyri, Brahim Díaz — all confirmed. The squad that eliminated Spain, Belgium, and Portugal in Qatar returns to the world stage, this time with a specific date circled in red: June 13 at MetLife Stadium against Brazil.
Hakimi — The Best Right Back in the World
PSG's Achraf Hakimi is the most recognizable name in the squad and arguably the best attacking right back in world football. His performances in 2022 — the overlap runs, the crosses, the defensive recovery pace — were a key part of Morocco's historic run. Against Brazil's Vinícius Jr. on his side, Hakimi faces the first genuinely elite winger matchup of the tournament. The result of that individual battle will shape the entire June 13 match.
Brahim Díaz — The New Dimension
Real Madrid's Brahim Díaz chose to represent Morocco (where his father is from) rather than Spain. At 26, with several Champions League winner's medals, he gives Morocco a technical quality in creative midfield positions that their 2022 squad didn't have. His ability to play in tight spaces, combine with others, and score from distance is the new element in Regragui's attack that makes this Morocco team more dangerous than the previous one.
Group C and the MetLife Calculation
Morocco is in Group C with Brazil, Haiti, and Scotland. Brazil are the group favorites; Morocco, with their defensive record (one open-play goal conceded in seven 2022 World Cup matches), are the second-most dangerous team in the group. For NYC's North African community in Astoria and Brooklyn, June 13 at MetLife is the moment — Morocco vs Brazil, the Atlas Lions against the five-time world champions, in a stadium 20 miles from where both communities live.