World Cup 2026: Morocco Becomes First African Country to Qualify for Round of 32

Morocco has become the first African nation to officially secure a place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Haiti on Thursday.

The Atlas Lions showed resilience and determination to come from behind twice before eventually overpowering the World Cup debutants and sealing qualification for the knockout phase.

Haiti stunned Morocco early in the encounter when a mishap involving goalkeeper Yassine Bounou resulted in an own goal that handed the Caribbean side the lead.

However, Morocco responded quickly through Achraf Hakimi, who restored parity and brought the North Africans back into the contest.

The drama continued as Haiti regained their advantage through Wilson Isidor, putting Morocco under pressure once again and threatening to produce one of the biggest surprises of the tournament.

Despite the setback, the Atlas Lions refused to panic and found another equaliser before halftime. Ismael Saibari scored to make it 2-2 and ensure both teams went into the break level.

Morocco emerged stronger in the second half and gradually took control of the game as their superior quality began to show.

Their persistence paid off when Soufiane Rahimi scored to give the Atlas Lions the lead for the first time in the match.

As Haiti pushed forward in search of another equaliser, Morocco capitalised on the spaces left behind and added a fourth goal through Gessime Yassine to complete an impressive comeback victory.

The result confirmed Morocco’s progression to the Round of 32, making them the first African representative to advance from the group stage at the 2026 tournament.

Although Morocco secured qualification, they finished second in the group behind Brazil, who topped the standings after defeating Scotland 3-0 in the other group fixture.

Brazil’s victory ensured the South Americans finished ahead of Morocco, while Scotland and Haiti were left battling for pride after failing to keep pace with the group’s leading teams.

Morocco’s achievement continues the country’s impressive rise on the global football stage following their historic performances in recent major tournaments.

The Atlas Lions will now shift their attention to the knockout rounds as they aim to continue their World Cup journey and further enhance Africa’s representation on the world stage.