Morocco made soccer history in 2022: The Atlas Lions became the first African team ever to reach the semifinals. Under head coach Walid Regragui, who remains in charge, the team aims to build on this achievement in 2026. The opening match against Brazil at MetLife Stadium will be watched with great anticipation around the world.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi has named three goalkeepers for the Atlas Lions: Yassine Bounou, Munir El Kajoui, and Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti. Ranked 8th by FIFA, Morocco is the highest-ranked African nation in the entire tournament and will face Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in Group C. The trio of goalkeepers includes the 2022 World Cup semifinal hero, the group’s longest-serving international, and a young goalkeeper who has made a comeback after a serious knee injury.

Bounou is 35 years old and the undisputed number one. His name is inextricably linked to the 2022 World Cup fairy tale: He became the first goalkeeper ever to lead an African team to the semifinals—with saves against Belgium, Spain, and Portugal that have gone down in tournament history. Against Spain, he stopped all three attempts in the penalty shootout. The fact that he had to be pulled from the warm-up before the match against Belgium due to illness and Munir El Kajoui stepped in remained the only blemish on an otherwise flawless tournament.

His club career took him from Wydad Casablanca to Atlético Madrid B, Real Zaragoza, Girona, and most notably Sevilla—where he won the Zamora Trophy as La Liga’s best goalkeeper in 2021/22, claimed the Europa League twice, and was nominated for the Yashin Trophy. Since 2023, he has played for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, where he won the Saudi Pro League and the Super Cup with the club. This season, he has made 20 appearances and recorded ten shutouts. His contract runs through 2028. Standing 195 cm tall, with explosive reflexes and an extraordinary presence in goal, Bounou is the goalkeeper who can lead Morocco to something historic.

Munir, whose real name is Munir Mohand Mohamedi, is 37 years old and the most experienced goalkeeper in the trio. With over 50 international appearances since his debut in 2015, he has three World Cup appearances (2018, 2022, 2026) and five AFCON tournaments under his belt—including the 2025 title win. In Qatar 2022, he stepped in at the last minute against Belgium when Bounou fell ill, leaving a commanding impression. His career path took him through Ceuta, Almería, Melilla, Numancia, Málaga, Hatayspor, and Al Wehda before he joined RS Berkane in the domestic Botola Pro as captain in July 2024. At RS Berkane, he led his club to the CAF Champions League in 2024/25. Munir is Ouahbi’s reliable backup—someone who can step in at a moment’s notice.

Tagnaouti is 30 years old and has weathered a series of setbacks that would have ended many a career. In March 2023, he underwent knee surgery while at Wydad AC, which sidelined him for over a year. He then played for Maghreb de Fès and MA Tétouan, before moving to AS FAR Rabat in July 2025—where he immediately became the starting goalkeeper and helped make his club one of the strongest defensive teams in the Botola Pro this season, with ten shutouts in 14 league matches. He also put in strong performances in the CAF Champions League against Al Ahly and Young Africans. His journey to the World Cup squad began as early as 2018—he was part of the roster in Russia that year but did not play. He was also part of the squad in 2022. 2026 marks his third attempt.