Flash actualités

2026 World Cup: «Proud of the players», Mohamed Ouahbi wants to «finish matches the way we start them»

On Saturday night, Morocco's national team head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, conveyed a blend of satisfaction and regret following the 1-1 draw in their opening Group C match of the 2026 World Cup against Brazil, noting that his players had «delivered a solid performance». «It was a good match. We played well. We will be better in the next game,» Ouahbi remarked during the post-match press conference. He emphasized the quality of Morocco's performance against a Brazilian

Morocco holds Brazil to a draw in World Cup opener

Morocco opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Brazil on Saturday evening at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as part of the opening round of Group C matches at the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The Atlas Lions took the lead in the 21st minute through Ismael Saibari, before Vinícius Júnior equalized for Brazil in the 32nd minute. The result leaves both Morocco and Brazil with one point

Massab Boulos: President Trump wants Sahara «discussions to take place without delay»

Massad Boulos, special adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump on African and Arab affairs, issued a new call this past Saturday, June 13, to the parties concerned with the Western Sahara issue. In a post on X, he emphasized that «President Donald Trump has made it clear that good faith discussions should take place without delay». Boulos highlighted that «valuable discussion at the Oslo Forum on Western Sahara and the importance of sustained diplomacy to resolve this

French-Algerian woman arrested in Morocco over posts insulting Moroccans

Police at Marrakech Menara Airport on Saturday arrested a 30-year-old French national of Algerian origin on suspicion of publishing online content deemed defamatory toward Moroccan citizens and insulting toward a legally regulated public institution. According to authorities, the suspect posted messages and videos on her social media accounts containing insults directed at Moroccan citizens, while also accusing public officials of accepting bribes and showing favoritism in the enforcement of

Morocco and Spain seize nearly five tonnes of hashish in Strait of Gibraltar

Spain’s Civil Guard announced on Saturday the seizure of nearly 4.8 tonnes of hashish in an operation carried out in coordination with Morocco’s Royal Gendarmerie in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar. The operation was launched after a semi-rigid go-fast boat was detected traveling at high speed and suspected of carrying a large shipment of drugs, the Civil Guard said in a statement. Spanish maritime, land, and air assets were deployed to track the vessel. During the chase,

Morocco greenlights late-night café openings during the World Cup

Local authorities in several Moroccan cities have introduced exceptional measures extending the opening hours of cafés and restaurants late into the night, allowing fans to watch matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The decision comes in response to the time difference with the host countries, with some fixtures scheduled to kick off late in the evening or during the early hours of the morning. In Marrakech, the City Council announced in an official statement that cafés

Marrakech: Man steals police vehicle, sparks chase through city streets

National Security officers in Marrakech arrested a man on Friday evening after he allegedly stole a police vehicle in the Gueliz district, triggering a chase through the streets of the Red City. Videos shared on social media showed police vehicles, motorcyclists and bystanders pursuing the stolen car, which continued to flee despite one of its front tires being damaged. According to local media reports, the suspect is a migrant from sub-Saharan Africa. He allegedly seized the opportunity to

Moroccan student in coma after serious crash in China, family appeals for help

A Moroccan student studying in China is in critical condition after a serious traffic accident left him in a coma, as his family struggles to cope with mounting medical expenses and the challenges of traveling to the Asian country. Speaking to Bladi, the student's brother said the accident occurred on June 4 while 19-year-old Ibrahim Khalil Najmi was riding a motorcycle with a Saudi classmate. The two were involved in a serious crash. Najmi, a second-year student at the University of

Sahara: Norway emerges as a potential host for the next round of talks

Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister, convened a significant meeting in Oslo with Massad Boulos, the U.S. President Donald Trump’s special adviser for African and Arab affairs, and Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy for Western Sahara. This meeting, occurring during the Oslo Peace Forum, was focused «on the issue of Western Sahara», as expressed by Norway’s second-ranking diplomat in his statement. He

Western Sahara: UK treads carefully between Morocco and the Polisario

The British government has once again expressed its backing for Morocco’s autonomy proposal concerning Western Sahara, albeit offering some leverage to the Polisario. This stance was reiterated on Thursday, June 11, by Hamish Falconer, the Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, in a written reply to Labour MP Navendu Prabhat Mishra. «In her meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Bourita on 23 April, the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan as

Embraer offers Morocco C4I command center to secure KC 390 deal

The Royal Armed Forces (FAR) have yet to place an official order for military transport aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, despite negotiations that began in October 2024. In a bid to strengthen its chances of securing the contract, the Brazilian aerospace company is now offering Morocco a C4I command center capable of centralizing the kingdom's military operations, according to a report published Friday by Africa Intelligence. A C4I system, Command, Control, Communications,

Princess Lalla Meryem represents King Mohammed VI at Bernadette Chirac funeral

Princess Lalla Meryem represented King Mohammed VI on Friday in Paris at the funeral of Bernadette Chirac. Upon her arrival at the Sainte-Clotilde Basilica, she was welcomed by Claude Chirac, the daughter of the deceased, before taking her seat inside the church alongside Brigitte Macron and senior dignitaries attending the funeral ceremony. Also present at the funeral were Morocco’s ambassador to Paris, Samira Sitail; former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François

Moroccan lawyers to halt professional activities from June 15 to 21

The Association of Moroccan Bar Associations has called for a nationwide suspension of professional activities from June 15 to 21, 2026, in protest over statements attributed to Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi. In a statement, the association expressed its outrage at what it described as «incendiary and accusatory remarks targeting the legal profession and its institutions» during parliamentary discussions. It also announced plans to raise the issue with the head of

Morocco faces 44°C heatwave, storms and strong winds this weekend

A heatwave, thunderstorms and strong wind gusts are expected to affect several regions of Morocco from Friday through Sunday, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). An orange-level weather alert issued by the DGM forecasts temperatures ranging between 41°C and 44°C in the provinces of Errachidia, Zagora, Tata, Assa-Zag, Es-Semara, Boujdour, Aousserd and Oued Ed-Dahab during the three-day period. The agency also warned of thundery showers, locally accompanied by

FRMF reveals extent of Aguerd, Ezzalzouli injuries

After their names were removed from Morocco's World Cup squad list, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on Friday confirmed and explained the last-minute withdrawals of Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Nayef Aguerd. According to the federation, medical examinations revealed that Ezzalzouli is suffering from a right knee sprain combined with a high-grade injury to the medial collateral ligament, ruling him out of the tournament. As for Aguerd, the FRMF said his recovery from a long-standing

Airports of Morocco launches Atlas Lions campaign ahead of World Cup opener

With just 24 hours to go before Morocco's opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Airports of Morocco has launched a nationwide campaign titled «Let The Game Take Off». According to a press release, the campaign features an animated comic-book-style film that draws a parallel between the Atlas Lions on the pitch and the airport personnel working behind the scenes to facilitate the travel of Moroccan supporters. It showcases the work of reception staff, operations teams, security

Morocco deploys consular support for fans at 2026 World Cup in US

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad on Thursday unveiled a support plan for Moroccan fans attending the 2026 World Cup in the United States. According to the ministry, the initiative aims to provide assistance and support to Moroccan nationals throughout the tournament through the deployment of dedicated consular teams. Consular staff will be present at airports to welcome supporters and provide practical information, particularly on logistical

Morocco reaches historic seventh place in FIFA world ranking

Morocco’s national team has reached a historic milestone in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, released as the 2026 World Cup gets underway, climbing to seventh place in the world, the highest ranking in the Atlas Lions’ history since the system was introduced in 1993. Morocco moved up one spot, benefiting from the Netherlands’ recent defeat in a friendly match against Algeria. The Atlas Lions remain Africa’s highest-ranked team, ahead of Senegal in 15th place