Ouahbi finalizes Morocco’s preliminary World Cup list ahead of June deadline

Morocco’s national football team coach Mohamed Ouahbi has entered the final phase of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after drawing up a preliminary list of players ahead of the final squad announcement.

The list comes as the Atlas Lions prepare to begin their official training camp on May 22, with the first stage of preparations expected to take place at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maâmora, Salé, the main training base of Morocco’s national teams. The same complex hosted Ouahbi’s first training session with the senior national team in March.

The Moroccan coach has already used recent friendly matches against Ecuador and Paraguay to test several players and tactical options. Those games allowed him to assess new profiles before making the difficult decisions that will shape Morocco’s final World Cup list.

Reports also indicate that the wider preliminary list had included players who did not take part in the March friendlies, such as Nayef Aguerd, Munir Mohamedi and Watford’s Othmane Maamma, while Ayoub Bouaddi’s name has also attracted attention because of his potential decision to represent Morocco instead of France.

FIFA rules allow each national team to submit a final World Cup squad of up to 26 players. The preliminary lists may include between 35 and 55 names, while the official final squads for the participating teams are expected to be announced on June 2, 2026.

For Morocco, the final choice will be particularly important because the national team enters the tournament with high expectations after its historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.