Royal welcome in Rabat as Morocco U-20s celebrate historic World Cup win
Morocco’s under-20 world champions received a royal and popular welcome in Rabat on Wednesday after returning from Chile with the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup title.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan hosted the team at the Royal Palace, a ceremony held on the instructions of King Mohammed VI to honour the Young Atlas Lions for a landmark triumph.
The audience was attended by Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), head coach Mohamed Ouahbi and the full squad.
A commemorative photograph was taken with the Crown Prince before a tea reception in the team’s honour, the FRMF said.
The tribute underlined the scale of Morocco’s achievement: the U-20s have become only the second African side to win the tournament.
Outside the palace, thousands of supporters lined the streets of the capital for an open-top bus parade that wound through central Rabat, including Avenue Mohammed V.
Fans waved national flags, wore national-team colours and chanted as the champions passed by.
Morocco sealed the title on Monday night, beating Argentina 2–0 in the final in Chile. Forward Yasser Zbeiri struck twice in the 12th and 29th minutes to deliver a famous victory and etch Morocco’s name in the competition’s roll of honour.
The run to the trophy showcased the breadth of the team’s progress. Ouahbi’s side defeated traditional powerhouses along the way, including Brazil, Spain, France and the United States, marrying defensive discipline with ruthless counter-attacking to navigate a demanding knockout path.
King Mohammed VI had earlier sent a congratulatory message to the delegation in Chile, praising the squad for bringing honour to Morocco and for representing Africa with distinction on the world stage.
Wednesday’s ceremony and the capital’s city-wide celebrations capped a week in which the team’s success has been hailed as another marker of the rapid rise of Moroccan football.
With the senior men’s and women’s teams already achieving historic milestones in recent years, the U-20 world title deepens Morocco’s footprint in global football and adds momentum to a youth pathway that continues to deliver at the highest level.