Morocco will be aiming to do better than they did in the last edition of the FIFA World Cup, where they reached the semifinals in Qatar, becoming the first African nation to do so.

The Atlas Lions will face Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in Group C.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou believes Morocco possesses the quality and mentality required to compete with the world’s best once again.

“The quality of the players is still there,” Bounou told FIFA. “The right mindset will also be there because it’s a World Cup, and every player dreams of playing in it. For some, this might be the last one. For others, it will be their first time.“

While acknowledging that several nations enter the tournament with greater expectations, Bounou believes Morocco’s steady development since Qatar 2022 gives them reason to be optimistic.

“Let’s be honest: there are teams that are bigger favorites than us,” he said. “We, for our part, have been on this path of progress since 2022, so let’s try to carry that on. After that, there’s no telling how far we might go.”