Morocco’s 2026 World Cup ended in the last eight, beaten 2-0 by a Kylian Mbappé-inspired France, yet the man who led them there will stay in the dugout. On Thursday, the executive committee of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) confirmed that Mohamed Ouahbi would continue as head coach, a decision taken just days after the defeat and amid a swirl of criticism from sections of the domestic press and fanbase. The federation’s statement described the team’s run as “positive and honourable,” noting that the Atlas Lions had again reached the quarter-finals, four years after their historic semi-final appearance in Qatar.

The on-field narrative of Morocco’s tournament was one of resilience followed by a clear ceiling. A round-of-16 victory over the Netherlands had raised expectations, but against France the side was unable to find a way through. The FRMF’s leadership, meeting in Rabat, pointed to the quality of opposition faced—all ranked inside FIFA’s top ten—and to a longer arc of progress that has lifted the national team from 84th to sixth in the world rankings since 2018. President Fouzi Lekjaa, according to accounts of the closed-door session, rejected what he called “rumours and false information” that surfaced after the France match, and insisted that every player had performed with “high national spirit.”

That defence of the squad was part of a wider message: the federation is already pivoting to the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. Lekjaa told the committee that the tournament is a “strategic project” requiring “collective reflection and joint work,” and that the three host nations would become the “main centre of attention of FIFA” as soon as the 2026 edition concludes. A dedicated body, the Morocco 2030 Foundation, will oversee preparations in partnership with the FRMF. Lekjaa also urged the country’s national leagues to modernise their operations and move “from a posture of observer to effective participation,” framing the event as a lever for development that extends well beyond sport, in line with the vision of King Mohammed VI.

Amid the institutional messaging, Ouahbi himself stepped into a more personal debate, defending right-back Achraf Hakimi against what he saw as disproportionate criticism. In remarks carried by Moroccan state media, the coach argued that expectations of the Paris Saint-Germain defender had become unbalanced, with too much weight given to attacking output. “His job is to defend,” Ouahbi said, calling for a fairer assessment of a player he described as one of the world’s best in his position. The intervention underscored a broader push by the federation to shield the national team from post-tournament recriminations and to channel energy into the long build-up to 2030, when Morocco will aim to host the game’s greatest show on home soil.