Wehbe bears responsibility for Morocco’s exit from the World Cup and confirms: The future will be better

Morocco national team coach Mohamed Wehbe said that he bears responsibility for his team’s 2-0 loss to France in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, but he stressed that the Atlas Lions’ journey in the tournament was positive, and that the future of Moroccan football “will be beautiful.”

Morocco exited the tournament in the quarter-finals after its defeat to France, in a match during which Wehbe said that the team did not appear in its usual identity, despite his confirmation that the plan did not differ from previous matches against Brazil, the Netherlands and Canada.

Wehbe said in a press conference, “France deserved to win. We wanted to finish the tournament more true to our identity, but that did not happen, and I bear responsibility as the coach.”

He added, “We should not reduce the evaluation to one match. We played five matches that pleased the fans, and we played with a clear Moroccan spirit and identity. But against France, we lacked personality in some moments, depth, and continuity in the attacking third.”

Wehbe denied that the team feared France or changed its style because of the strength of the opponent, explaining that the team tried to play in the same way it appeared throughout the tournament.

He said, “We did not change the system or the playing intentions. I did not ask the players to retreat and defend. When we retreated, it was because the opponent forced us to do so. What we lacked was the ability to move the ball more to the French court, and create depth and spaces.”

The Moroccan coach confirmed that the preparation for the match was normal, and that he did not feel that the players were afraid or lacked desire. He added, “I felt that they were prepared and excited. There was nothing different in the preparation, but during the match we did not succeed in being ourselves.”

Wehbe responded to the criticism related to his choices, stressing that he does not want to look for excuses related to injuries or names that were not called to the list. He said, “It is easy after the loss to say that a player should have been called up or another should have been involved. But the players who were with us were the ones who got us to the quarter-finals, and they were the ones who made the audience live beautiful moments against Brazil, the Netherlands, Canada, Haiti and Scotland.”

He also defended the participation of some young players in the tournament, noting that Morocco emerged from the World Cup with important experience for a generation that will become more mature in the coming years.

He said, “We had one of the youngest teams in the quarter-finals. We may have lacked experience against France, but these players will be more ready in four years. If we do not give them the opportunity now, they will not be ready later.”

Wehbe denied the existence of disagreements within the technical staff, stressing that what was reported about disagreements with his assistant were merely “false rumours.” He said, “We are a cohesive team. I give the floor to everyone, and in the end I bear the decision. What was said about internal disputes is not true, and it is unfortunate to spread such rumors after the loss.”

The coach also spoke about the future of the national team, stressing the need for Moroccan players to become more influential and consistent with their clubs, especially in high-level matches.

He said, “When France arrives with players who participate every week in the Champions League and with major clubs, that gives it an advantage. We have good players, and when they come to Morocco they surpass themselves, but we have to ask them to do that with their clubs as well.”

He added that the team needs to play strong friendly matches, and to expand the base of physically and technically prepared players, especially since the match against France was Morocco’s sixth in the tournament, and it is the stage in which the team felt a decline in performance.

Wehbe concluded by stressing that Morocco will not stop when it reaches the quarter-finals, and that the goal is to build towards the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will participate in organizing. He said, “We want to be at the level of Spain and Portugal in 2030, not just an organized country. We have proven that we are capable of fighting the big ones, and now we must continue working to go further than that.”