Former Morocco international Mustapha Hadji believes that Morocco must now strengthen the depth of its squad following its run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to him, the Atlas Lions have a quality starting eleven but still lack enough options on the bench to compete with the world’s biggest national teams.
Speaking to Al Arabiya, Hadji praised the work done by Mohamed Ouahbi’s side while identifying the team’s main priority for the coming competitions. « The Morocco national team needs a stronger bench, » he said.
The former African Footballer of the Year pointed out that several players were playing in their first FIFA World Cup and that the experience gained would be valuable for the future. However, he stressed that the top national teams often make the difference thanks to the quality of their substitutes.
« If you want to compete with teams like France, the quality of the bench is essential, » Mustapha Hadji insisted.
Despite Morocco’s elimination in the quarter-finals, the former international believes that the team has a solid foundation. He now calls for expanding the Atlas Lions’ player pool in order to continue their progress and approach future competitions with even greater ambition.
