World Cup 2026: Morocco stronger than 2022 team, says Scotland coach Steve Clark

Scotland coach Steve Clarke believes Morocco will pose an even greater challenge than their 2022 World Cup semi-final run at the ongoing 2026 tournament in North America.

The European outfit will take on the North African powerhouse in a highly competitive fixture on Friday night, with victory crucial to securing a place in the knockout stage.

Speaking ahead of the match, , Clarke admitted his team will need to be at their absolute best to compete with the Atlas Lions, praising Morocco’s overall balance, physical power and technical quality ahead of Friday’s clash at Boston Stadium.

“I think Morocco are a very strong team,” Clarke said. “They reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup, but I feel this current team may even be better than the one we saw in Qatar. That tells you how difficult the task will be for us.”

Clarke highlighted Morocco’s ability to control games through possession while also carrying a constant threat in transition, noting that their mix of pace, strength and technical ability makes them one of the most complete sides in the tournament.

“For me, they are a real top-class team,” he added. “We will need to be at our best if we want to compete with them.”

The Scotland coach also stressed the importance of discipline and efficiency, saying his players must make the most of any chances they create while Morocco are likely to dominate large spells of possession.

“We expect them to control possession more,” he explained. “We have to be decisive when we have the ball and make the right decisions.”

Clarke further revealed that tactical flexibility will be key, suggesting Scotland could adopt a back three depending on how the match develops, as they look to counter Morocco’s attacking threats.

He also reflected on Scotland’s mentality in big matches, suggesting his side sometimes performs better when not under pressure as favourites, pointing to their opening win over Haiti as an example of a difficult but successful outing.

“Sometimes our mentality is more relaxed when we are not the favourites,” Clarke said. “We were favourites against Haiti and we struggled, even though we won. This time we are not the favourites, and maybe that can help us.”

Morocco go into the fixture in strong form after holding Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their opening group match, while Scotland also began their campaign positively with a hard-fought victory over Haiti.

With both teams targeting a place in the knockout stage, the Group C encounter is expected to be a tightly contested and tactically demanding battle.