Assahafa.com
With 3 weeks left before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and only days before PSG’s Champions League final, Morocco’s football star Achraf Hakimi has shared the Atlas Lions’ high ambitions for the tournament.
In an extensive interview with Onze Mondial, the Moroccan right-back opened up about his ambitions with the national team and suggested Morocco’s historic run in Qatar 4 years ago may only have been the beginning.
Hakimi is at a defining moment in his career. He’s widely seen as one of the world’s top right-backs. The former Real Madrid academy alumni has collected major trophies at the club level and the recent 2025 AFCON title and is a central figure in Morocco’s golden generation.
Now, the focus is on another World Cup campaign.
“A World Cup is coming this summer, and we’re going to give everything. The group is confident, and we’re preparing to have a great tournament, like we did in Qatar in 2022. Why not do even better than we did in Qatar and go as far as possible?” Hakimi said.
The Atlas Lion emphasized that Morocco’s objective is to achieve great things during the global tournament.
“That’s our objective. We’ll see how things develop, but I can tell you that we’re ready to achieve great things at this World Cup,” Hakimi said.
The comments prove the confidence in Morocco. The team is now starting preparations with a 4-day extended 28-member camp under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi.
Under Walid Regragui, Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semifinal, defeating European powers and changing perceptions of what teams from the region could achieve on football’s biggest stage. For Hakimi, though, reaching a semifinal is no the limit.
The defender insisted Morocco should not put boundaries on itself.
“Our only limit depends on us. We are the ones who set our own limits. Through our performances on the pitch and what we’ve shown in major tournaments, Morocco has grown and competes with the biggest nations,” Hakimi added.
“Today, I don’t know where our limit is, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting,” he added.
Healso mentioned the next generation entering the national team, and how Morocco’s ambitions are continuing to evolve.
“The new generation is arriving with the hunger to achieve great things, and thanks to them, we continue pushing our limits even further. This is a national team full of ambition. We want to achieve great things every year and remain at the highest level.”
He then delivered his clearest message about Morocco’s ambitions: “Our objective is clear: to make football history.”
Now those words perfectly sum up the expectations surrounding the Atlas Lions heading into the summer.
What once seemed impossible became reality in Qatar. Now, with a confident squad, emerging talent, and players entering the prime years of their careers, Morocco believes its historic World Cup run may have been only the beginning.
Source: Morocco word news
