Morocco abandons 20-team Botola Pro plan after clubs fail to reach agreement

Morocco’s Botola Pro will retain its 16-team format for the 2026-27 season after a proposed expansion to 20 clubs failed to secure the agreement needed to change the country’s professional league structure.

The National Professional Football League (LNFP) confirmed on Friday that the new campaign will continue with 16 teams in both the first and second divisions.

The decision comes days after Moroccan professional clubs voted on a proposal to increase both divisions to 20 teams, but the plan could not progress because of existing regulatory requirements.

Majority backs expansion but proposal stalls

The proposal was discussed during a meeting between club presidents and LNFP officials in Rabat on 17 August.

Seventeen clubs voted in favour of increasing the number of teams, while seven opposed the proposal and three abstained.

Despite the proposal receiving a majority of the votes, it failed to secure the wider agreement required for such a major change to Morocco’s professional football structure.

The plan would also have needed to move to the executive office of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) for further consideration.

Regulations prevent immediate change

The main obstacle was the existing competition regulations, which currently establish 16 clubs for both professional divisions.

Increasing the number to 20 would therefore require amendments to the regulations rather than a decision by the LNFP alone.

The proposed reform also had implications for the wider structure of the FRMF. Article 18 of the federation’s regulations connects representation at its General Assembly to the existing 16-club structure in each professional division.

As a result, the proposed expansion raised institutional issues that went beyond the organisation of the Botola Pro itself.

New season draw set for 28 August

With the expansion plan unable to proceed, the LNFP has confirmed that the 2026-27 Botola Pro season will be played under the existing format.

The official league draw will take place on 28 August at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maâmoura.

The LNFP said the competitions would be organised according to the regulations and procedures currently in force, with the process carried out transparently and in line with the applicable rules.

For Moroccan football, the failed expansion bid represents another attempt to reshape the country’s professional league system.

While the 20-team proposal attracted considerable support from clubs, the voting majority was not enough to overcome the regulatory and institutional changes required.

For the new season, Morocco’s top flight will therefore continue with 16 clubs