RIYADH: Morocco head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup determined to build on their success in Qatar. But following up on the greatest achievement in a country’s football history is never easy, and history suggests the Atlas Lions face an uphill battle.
Cameroon stunned the world when they held England until extra time in the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup. What followed was a last-place finish in 1994.
Sweden and Bulgaria’s fairytale runs to the semifinals in 1994 also proved difficult to sustain. Sweden failed to qualify for the 1998 tournament, while Bulgaria exited at the group stage.
Croatia failed to progress from their group in 2002 after finishing third in 1998, while Senegal and Turkiye missed the following World Cup after reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively in 2002.
Most recently, Costa Rica’s remarkable run to the quarterfinals in 2014 was followed by group-stage exits in both 2018 and 2022 before missing out on qualification in 2026.
