Nine international football matches are scheduled to be held in Morocco from June 5 to 11 in the third and fourth rounds of the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) reported.
Due to “non-compliant” stadiums in their home countries, as determined by FIFA and the African Football Confederation (CAF), eight African teams have selected Morocco to play their matches in it. They include Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic, Gambia, Sao Tomé and Príncipe, Djibouti, Guinea, Chad, and the Seychelles.
The teams selected Morocco due to the “high quality of Morocco’s sporting facilities,” including football pitches and training sites recognized internationally; the country’s “logistics” in terms of transportation and mobility; as well as the availability of “accommodation and hotels” for both fans and teams.
The upcoming matches will feature a number of “highly anticipated contests,” including the Moroccan national team facing Zambia at Agadir’s Grand Stadium on Friday, June 7, at 8:00 PM (Group E).
Oujda’s “Honneur” Stadium will be the venue for the match between the Central African Republic and Chad on Wednesday, June 5, at 5:00 PM (Group I). At the same time, Sierra Leone will compete against Djibouti at El Abdi Stadium (Group A).
Gambia will take on the Seychelles at the Municipal Stadium in Berkane on Saturday, June 8 at 17:00 (Group F) in the fourth round of Group F.
São Tomé and Príncipe will play Liberia on Sunday, June 9, at 2:00 PM in Oujda as part of the Group H round, while Djibouti will play Ethiopia on the same day at 5:00 PM in El Jadida (Group A).
El Jadida will also host Guinea versus Mozambique on Monday, June 10, at 8:00 PM (Group G).
The last day of international matches in Moroccan stadiums is Tuesday, June 11. The schedule is Chad vs. Comoros in Oujda at 5:00 PM (Group I) and Seychelles vs. Burundi in Berkane at 8:00 PM (Group F).
FIFA has widened its game format to accommodate 48 teams for the first time in history, with the players competing in 12 four-team groupings.
In February, FIFA released the calendar for the 2026 World Cup matches, which will take place in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The tournament will start on June 11, 2026, at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City and conclude on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA.
A total of 104 matches will be spread across 16 cities throughout North America, including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, New York, Monterrey, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Vancouver, and Toronto.