Morocco win U20 football WC beating Argentina

Morocco won the U20 football World Cup on Sunday beating Argentina by 2-0 at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago, Chile, reported MAP, the state-owned news agency of the Kingdom of Morocco.

From the outset of the fixture, the national team proved threatening in the 5th minute following a quick transition from Yasser Zabiri from the right, but the Argentine goalkeeper caught him at the edge of the penalty area.

The Atlas Lions then earned a free kick, which Zabiri converted in the 12th minute.

After conceding the goal, the Argentine team sought to equalize by pressing the Moroccan defense, but coach Mohamed Ouahbi's players resisted all of the Albiceleste's offensive attempts.

The Moroccan players put up a solid defense and withstood the Argentine pressure, while relying on lightning-fast counterattacks.

This strategy allowed Othmane Maamma to accelerate down the right and deliver a beautiful pass to Zabiri, who scored the second goal in the 29th minute.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of Morocco to Finland and Estonia, Mohamed Achgalou highlighted the victory as a historic moment and said that this remarkable achievement marks not only a turning point for Moroccan football, but also a milestone in the global development of an emerging Morocco, whose model of progress is increasingly recognized worldwide.

In an interview with Daily Finland, the Moroccan envoy affirmed that the Morocco’s historic triumph at the U20 World Cup elevating the Kingdom to the top of world football “is not a coincidence but the result of a comprehensive and visionary Royal policy” led by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

“Since the National Sports Conference in 2008,” he recalled, “His Majesty has provided decisive momentum to position sport as a strategic tool for human, social, and territorial development, transforming it into a genuine lever of national progress, social cohesion, and youth empowerment.”

Achgalou emphasized that the U20 victory represents the tangible outcome of this long-term strategy, which combines vision, structure, and inclusiveness.

“What we are witnessing today is a football revolution that goes far beyond sport,” the Ambassador said.

It embodies Morocco’s capacity to plan, invest, and inspire, a reflection of the country’s broader emergence on the international stage,” he added.

The Ambassador highlighted the central role of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, inaugurated in 2010, describing it as “a cradle of excellence and the living embodiment of the Royal vision.”

The Academy was designed to foster education, discipline, and professional growth through sport.

Several players from the victorious U20 team, five of whom are graduates of the Academy, stand as proof of its success and of the effectiveness of the Moroccan training model.

He further underlined that, under the impetus of the King, Morocco has multiplied investments in sports infrastructure, building community pitches, regional training centers, and modern facilities throughout the Kingdom.

“This democratization of access to sport has produced a new generation that is talented, disciplined, and self-confident,” he said.

“It has given every Moroccan child, regardless of background, the opportunity to dream, to train, and to excel,” the Ambassador added.

Achgalou also recalled that the Atlas Lions’ historic performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup had already demonstrated the strength and coherence of this Royal vision, while the remarkable rise of Moroccan women’s football, culminating in its first-ever World Cup participation and a continental final, reflects the inclusive and balanced nature of this national strategy.

He added that beyond technical progress, Morocco’s football success now carries a powerful human and cultural dimension.

“The family spirit that unites the players, the staff, and the fans, embodied in the famous chant ‘Siiir, Siiir! (Meaning ‘Go, go further!), has become a true branding image of Moroccan football, he observed. This spirit of perseverance and resilience can be compared to the Finnish concept of ‘SISU’, symbolizing courage, determination, and endurance in the face of challenges,” said the Moroccan envoy.

He concluded by emphasizing that, the U20 World Cup triumph “reaffirms Morocco’s position as a pioneer of African and Arab football and symbolizes the success of a coherent, forward-looking policy.”

Beyond sporting glory, he said, “this is the victory of a vision, a vision where sport is a catalyst for progress, pride, and unity, and where Morocco stands as a beacon of emergence and excellence on the global stage.”

The Ambassador noted, Morocco’s leadership in global football continues to expand. The Kingdom is set to host the Africa Cup of Nations (CAF) next December, and will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, a testament to Morocco’s growing international stature and to the trust it inspires as a hub of sporting excellence, organization, and ambition.