Morocco manager Ahmed Kantari has named his final 21-player squad for the 2026 U17 World Cup, with OM forward Ziyad Baha included after returning to the age-group setup.
The tournament will be held in Qatar from 19 November to 13 December, and Kantari announced his selection on Tuesday, 3 November.
Baha had represented Morocco at U20 level in recent months and had not featured for the U17 side since their run to the quarter-finals of last year’s U17 World Cup, when he scored four goals. He is now back in the squad and will be one of the survivors of that campaign, alongside fellow attacker Ismail El Aoud.
Another notable selection is Ibrahim Rabbaj, known as the “Messi of Chelsea”. He was one of the leading figures in the Morocco team that reached the quarter-finals of the CAN U17 on home soil earlier this year.
The squad also includes PSG goalkeeper Adam Mouak, while defenders Mohamed Habib Zinbi and Adam Soudi have been rewarded for their performances at the CAN U17. Feyenoord midfielder Ilian Hadidi and his Ajax team-mate Imran Talai are also selected, with Talai having scored twice in that competition.
The strength of the available talent meant Kantari had difficult decisions to make. In a video released by the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), the manager described some of his choices as “heartbreaking”.
Mouad Gounfissi and Adam Alioui will not travel to Qatar because of injuries.
Morocco have been drawn in Group H, where they will face Spain, Fiji and China. The group offers a varied set of challenges for Kantari’s side, including a meeting with Spain that is expected to be one of the most interesting fixtures of the opening phase.
The Lionceaux de l’Atlas will be aiming to match or improve on their run at the 2025 U17 World Cup, when they reached the quarter-finals.