2025 AFCON hosts Morocco come into the tournament off the back of setting a new world record for the longest winning streak in international football, a streak that ended last week against Oman.
The Atlas Lions won 19 consecutive games from June 2024 to December 2025, including victories in friendlies and World Cup qualifiers, surpassing the previous record of 15, set by Spain’s golden generation across 2008 and 2009.
As hosts and the 11th best side in the world, Morocco are favourites for this winter’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the public will expect their golden generation to add to their singular victory in 1976, ahead of next year’s World Cup.
A 0-0 draw against Mauritania in a March 2024 friendly was the last match before the side went on their dream run, swatting aside teams including Gabon, Tunisia, and Benin.
Their 1-0 win over Congo in their final World Cup qualifying match in October saw them break Spain’s record. Subsequent wins against Mozambique, Uganda, and Comoros furthered the legacy.
Officially, a 0-0 draw with Oman in Morocco’s second group fixture in the Arab Cup brought an end to the winning streak, but there is reason to argue the streak continues.
The Arab Cup is a competition between Arab countries across Africa and Asia every four years, and Morocco has claimed the trophy once, in 2012.
However, due to calendar congestion and lower quality of opposition, only players at Arab clubs tend to participate. This has meant no member of the squad is expected to be selected for the North African’s Afcon or World Cup squad.
Even Morocco’s manager Walid Regragui does not oversee the tournament, instead ceding duties to U23 boss Tarik Sektioui.
After topping their group, they will take on Syria in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
It may not be in the record-keepers' eyes, but when Morocco open Afcon against Comoros on 21 December, the squad will be hunting their 19th consecutive victory.
Zambia are no slouches, whilst Mali likely pose the biggest threat in the group stages, but the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists should be a cut above almost every team in this tournament.
It would be no surprise for Morocco's world record winning streak to continue all the way to the 2026 World Cup Finals.
