Following Ghana’s historic victory sixteen years ago, Morocco young lads become the second African team to win the U–20 FIFA World Cup tournament, after the Atlas Lion Cubs stunned Argentina 2–0 in a decisive final on Sunday at the Julio Martinez Prádanos Stadium in Santiago, Chile, lifting their first–ever global title.
The triumph came months after Morocco secured a runner–up in the last African Cup of Nations tournament—a validation to the club’s grit and resilience.
Inspired by the up–and–coming Morocco hitman Yassir Zabir who found the back of the net twice to deliver a man–of–the–performance, the poacher ruthlessly in front of goal handed a perfect display to his side, leaving the six–time champions effortless.
Becoming the first team to beat Argentina in a U–20 World Cup final in 42 years, Sunday’s victory evidenced the landmark progress of Morocco youth development program under the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), an initiative dedicated to promoting young talents in the country.
The young lads have inked their names with gold, securing a record–breaking title, inspiring a new generation across Africa and beyond.
Road to Victory
Under the management of Mohamed Ouahbi, the world champions exhibited a combination of defensive prowess, mixed with fearless attacking football, striking their opponents ruthlessly with little tolerance to concede goals.
Morocco who endured a rougher route to the final managed to win all their games in the competition except a loss to Mexico in the group stage, conceding in each of their five matches before a penalty shootout fired them to the final against France in the semifinal.
The team secured their spot in the semifinals, after a perfect 3–1 victory against the United States of America, thanks to the team’s firm defense and clinical efficiency.
The road to the final is a no–easy task for the young Moroccans who stood tall against France to move to the next round after a hard–fought battle that kept spectators unsettled until the final whistle.
After 120–minutes of intense showdown that ended in a dramatic 1–1 draw, the two teams headed to the penalty shootouts to settle the tie before Atlas Lion Cubs won (5–4)—a trademark victory to both Moroccan and African football.
The team concluded their 2025 World Cup journey with a perfect finish, stunning the Almighty Argentina when Yassir Zabir’s brilliance delivered a 2–0 lead to his side during their historic first–ever final encounter.
Morocco Young Talents Shine on Sunday Night
Morocco’s talented young players didn’t only bring glory to the Africa continent, they also seized the opportunity to showcase their prowess. Packing nearly all the individual accolades in the tournament testified to the team’s masterclass performance.
From sensation Othmane Maamma who received the Golden Ball after being crowned the best player of the tournament, to Yassir Zabir who deputized his teammate for clinching Silver Ball (also doubled as the competition’s topscorer), the rising stars added prestigious individual honors to their country’s historic glory.
The young Watford forward Othmane Maamma was recognized for his significant commitment in helping his country to lift the trophy, contributing four assists while recording a single goal in six appearances during the tournament.
For Yassir Zabir, his ruthlessness in front of goal, striking five times in the competition, with his brace leading his team to the first–ever glory in the final, are what he needed to win both the Silver Ball and the Golden boot alike.