The rise of Morocco after their win over Spain in the 2022 World Cup

Morocco broke the hearts of the Spanish fans after beating Luis Enrique’s side 3-0 in the penalty shootouts at the World Cup, but that win also started their rise to reach to the top.

Their goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, saved three penalties in the shootout, giving Spain no chance to win.

Former Real Madrid defender Achraf Hakimi, born in Madrid, stepped up to take their fourth penalty. Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon dived to his right and got nowhere near the ball, and Morocco’s players and staff set off in celebration.

Moroccan people were very happy after the win due to their rivalry with Spain, not only in sports, but also militarily, politically and economically. More than 800,000 Moroccans live in Spain, making them the largest expatriate population.

Morocco’s run to the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup

Moreover, there was a heavy police presence in Valencia, and many people were arrested in the city of Granada.

Fourteen players in last year’s World Cup squad were born outside Morocco, as they have close ties to countries such as France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Their coach, Walid Regragui, was born in France and played club football in Spain. However, internationally and emotionally, he was only ever Moroccan.

Spain and Morocco to host 2030 World Cup

The fans didn’t like the fact that previous coaches weren’t Moroccan. But after Regragui took over, they felt like he wanted to win as much as the players and the fans.

After defeating Spain, they also defeated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals. However, they were unable to beat France in the semi-finals.

Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. Moreover, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will host the opening games as part of the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

Morocco and Spain’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup together will bring them close for as long as they have shared interests.