Morocco made history as the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals with a 1–0 win over Portugal, sending home another European power during a scintillating Cinderella run in Qatar.
After winning a loaded Group F featuring Belgium, Canada and current World Cup semifinalist Croatia, Morocco defeated Spain in a penalty shootout leading into the quarterfinal. And in the biggest game in the nation’s history, the Atlas Lions cobbled together a stalwart performance that saw a 42nd-minute header from Youssef En-Nesyri become the match-winner.
Led by the tactics of manager Walid Regragui, who was hired less than three months before the tournament, Morocco stifled a loaded Portugal attack that was coming off a 6–1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16. Once again, Cristiano Ronaldo started on the bench after a Gonçalo Ramos hat trick propelled Portugal over the Swiss, but Portugal had no answer for a Moroccan defense that has conceded only one goal all tournament.
