Learning from Morocco: Development First, Naturalization Later

In the last three years, Moroccan football has reached a level it has never touched before. The title of champion of the U-20 World Cup in Chile 2025, after defeating Argentina 2-0 in the final on Monday (20/10/2025 WIB), underscores the significant improvement of football in that North African country. However, this achievement was not attained through an instant route.

Morocco once reached a low point after failing to qualify for the World Cup from 2002 to 2014. However, that era of darkness has been forgotten after the "Atlas Lions" squad managed to reach the semifinals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. This achievement is recorded as the best journey for an African team and a representative of the Arab region in the largest football tournament.

After a brilliant performance in Qatar, all Moroccan football teams, including the junior and women's teams, seem to have a magnet for attracting numerous achievements. They proved this by being awarded the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This achievement was preceded by the title of champion at the 2024 U-23 Africa Cup.

The achievement of the U-20 World Cup champion title in 2025 further emphasizes that the regeneration of the Moroccan national team squad is far from over. The championship title in Chile was attained by overcoming the odds.

They made their debut at the U-20 World Cup after a two-decade absence since the 2005 edition in the Netherlands. They outperformed three teams with a strong tradition in junior tournaments, such as Brazil, Mexico, and Spain, during the group stage. Subsequently, France and Argentina were defeated in the last two matches.

Morocco U-20 team coach Mohamed Ouahbi emphasized the ambitious steps of Moroccan football. After leading his team to the world championship, Ouahbi did not hesitate to mention that several of his protégés could strengthen the depth of the senior team for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"We (Morocco) do not wait for the 2030 World Cup (when we will be one of the hosts) to strive to become world champions. Morocco will make another effort in 2026," said Ouahbi as reported by the FIFA website.

Ouabhi's statement is not mere speculation. Morocco is heading to the United States, Canada, and Mexico with a golden generation. Not only in the senior team, but their squad depth is also very strong, supported by the U-23 team that won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics and the U-20 team that conquered the world.

"I don't think there's a better opportunity for us to go after that (World Cup title)," Ouahbi said later.

The success of the Atlas Lions in achieving two remarkable accomplishments in the past two years, leading them to dare to dream of winning the World Cup, is the result of a long process. The resurgence of Moroccan football began with a grand project initiated by the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa.

Since taking charge of Moroccan football in 2014, Lekjaa, a technocrat, has restructured the development program. This has been done not only for the national team but also for clubs across Morocco.

He assists the national team and clubs in renovating sports infrastructure to support the development and training programs for the players. Lekjaa sharpens the grand vision of King Mohammed VI, who established a football academy in 2009.

The investment value from the royal family is 13 million euros or approximately Rp 250 billion for an academy aimed at developing future national team players. The Mohammed VI Academy is now a gold mine for Morocco and is also one of the best football academies in the world.

We started by establishing training centers for young players and clubs. We have added several new academies in Casablanca and Berkane.

The main pillars of Morocco in the 2022 World Cup are products of the prestigious academy, including Nayef Aguerd, Youssef En-Nesyri, and Azzedine Ounahi. Graduates of the Mohammed VI Academy also contributed nearly half of the squad for the U-17 World Cup 2023, the Women's World Cup 2024, and the U-20 World Cup 2025.

In support of the national program, Lekjaa also emphasizes the serious development of women's football. He utilizes the FIFA Covid-19 assistance fund amounting to 500,000 US dollars (Rp 8.28 billion) for the development of women's football throughout Morocco.

In addition, the federation has also upgraded the magnificent stadiums built by the country since 2006 to meet FIFA standards. It is no surprise that FIFA has given the green light to four old stadiums proposed by Morocco to host the upcoming 2030 World Cup.

Omar Khyari, advisor to the President of FRMF, revealed that the development of new infrastructure is crucial for the advancement of football in Morocco. He stated that it is important for the national team and clubs to have several internationally standard stadiums.

"We started by building training centers for young players and clubs. We've already added several new academies in Casablanca and Berkane," Khyari said, as reported by Africa News.

"After the infrastructure is completed, we are working to improve the club's governance. The improvement of the club's management and finances is key to forming a solid club. Therefore, building a strong national team and one of the best in the world clearly requires a strong club," he stated subsequently.

Argentina U-20 coach Diego Placente said Morocco's players have developed rapidly. Morocco has more than just naturally talented players.

"Now they have players who are in better physical condition, have a better understanding of tactics, and have a winning mentality," said Placente.

After restructuring the training for both the national academy and club-owned facilities, as well as building stadiums and training centers for the national team and clubs, the FRMF continued its program by pursuing diaspora players.

The U-20 squad is similar to the senior team, combining local players with diaspora players who were born and raised in Europe. A total of 23 players brought by Ouahbi to Chile consist of players who grew up in Morocco as well as from four European countries, namely Spain, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium.

Othmane Maama, the recipient of the Golden Ball at the U-20 World Cup 2025, was born in France and has represented the English club, Watford. Meanwhile, Yassir Zabiri, who scored two goals in the final match, was born in Marrakesh (Morocco) and is a recent graduate of the Mohammed VI Academy. Zabiri is currently playing for the Portuguese club, Famalicao.

Ouahbi acknowledged that the project implemented by FRMF is progressing well and serves as a foundation for the national team's outstanding performance. "Our project has been running for several years. This is very significant for us because we are very close to winning the World Cup. We already have players who can compete against the best teams and players," he said. (AFP)