Morocco just reminded the world why they’re not a fluke. The Atlas Lions came from behind to beat Haiti 4-2 in their Group C match in Atlanta on June 24, securing their spot in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Soufiane Rahimi came off the bench and scored a deflected goal in the 78th minute to put Morocco ahead 3-2, and the team never looked back.
Here’s the thing about Morocco: they trailed Haiti in this match. Actually trailed. Haiti scored twice before the Atlas Lions mounted what turned into a comprehensive comeback. Achraf Hakimi, Ismael Saibari, and substitute Rahimi all found the net as Morocco flipped the script. The final scoreline read 4-2, a result that secured second place in Group C behind Brazil.
This isn’t a team that stumbled into contention. Morocco reached the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the first African nation to ever do so.
Rahimi, who entered as a substitute, has been one of Morocco’s most reliable scorers across multiple international tournaments, including the Olympics and Africa Cup of Nations. His 78th-minute goal, a deflected shot that wrong-footed the Haiti goalkeeper, was the kind of clutch moment that separates pretenders from contenders.
