Major developments close to the start of the World Cup have changed the game for the Atlas Lions, whose group won’t do them any favors.
After missing out on four straight World Cups from 2002 to 2014, the Atlas Lions have now qualified for two straight tournaments. For a two-year stretch from 2019 to 2021 that included a significant chunk of World Cup qualifying, Morocco didn’t lose a game. Then, after dropping out in the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, Morocco clinched its place in Qatar with a playoff win over the Democratic Republic of Congo.