The Moroccan national team is preparing for its highly anticipated participation in the upcoming World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. As this global football event approaches, the achievements and records of players who have represented the “Atlas Lions” at this major stage come into focus. The two star players, Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech, top the list of players with the most appearances for the Moroccan national team in World Cup finals history, affirming their statuses as key pillars in the team lineup over the years.
These figures come in the context of preparing for Morocco’s seventh World Cup appearance, and third consecutive one, following the historic achievement of reaching the semi-finals at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the first Arab and African team to do so. Both Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech played 10 matches across two World Cup editions, reflecting their consistent performance and importance to the team. Their participation included 3 matches in the Russia 2018 World Cup and 7 matches in Qatar 2022, totaling 903 minutes played for each. Ziyech scored a goal against Canada during the Qatar World Cup and assisted another against Belgium, while Hakimi provided one assist in the match against Canada.
The list also includes several prominent players who left their mark on the Moroccan national team’s World Cup history. Defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat ranks third with 8 matches played across two tournaments (one match in Russia and seven in Qatar), totaling 674 minutes. Equal in the number of matches is defensive captain Romain Saïss, who also played 8 matches (two in Russia and six in Qatar) accumulating 648 minutes and scoring one goal against Belgium. Among the most offensively effective is striker Youssef En-Nesyri, who also appeared in 8 matches but with only 565 minutes of playing time, managed to score 3 historic goals for Morocco in the World Cup, including the winning goal against Portugal in the Qatar 2022 quarter-finals, a goal against Spain in Russia 2018, and another against Canada in Qatar 2022. These figures highlight the excellent performances of these players and their dedication to serving the national team.
