Not many events capture the attention of fans around the world like the FIFA World Cup does. 32 teams make it into this prestigious tournament and after the top two teams from each group are established, the round of 16 begins, which kicks off the straight knockout part of the tournament. Stakes are high, as each team is hoping to bring home the title of World Cup champions to their country.

One team in particular has surprised the globe: Morocco. Since the beginning of the World Cup in 1930, only European and South American teams have advanced this far; however, we can now add Morocco to the list. This makes them the first African and Arab team to get this far. 

World cup victories are heavily dominated by European and South American countries; however, many of these teams’ leading players have ancestral roots tracing back to African and Arab countries. According to an interview conducted by Geoff Bennett from PBS with sports journalist Kevin Blackistone,

“They [European teams] won with players who were the progeny of colonization, the progeny of their occupiers, in this case, Spain, which along with France that had colonized and occupied Morocco for many, many decades,” said Blackistone. “And this particular time, it’s the other way around. And we have the foreign-born players deciding to play for their ancestral home, and finally bringing them to the — to some glory.”

 Making it to the semi-finals match is no easy feat and does not come from luck, but instead from hard work and determination. The gap is narrowing between historical powers in the World Cup and new emerging teams with prosperous futures.

“This success is not built on sand. Seeds have been planted. Pathways have been drawn. Europe and South America may have the historical legacy and the know-how, but the gap is narrowing,” said Gabriele Marcotti, a sports writer from ESPN.

While Morocco’s time at the FIFA World Cup has come to an end after a 2-0 defeat against France in the Semi-finals match, they have caught the attention of millions around the world with their record-breaking run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.