The2022 World Cuphas been packed with fascinating stories, but few more than Morocco’s incredible run to the semifinals of soccer’s biggest stage. Now, Netflix will ensure this spectacular chapter in the sport’s history gets the spotlight it deserves.
Morocco entered theFIFA World Cup in Qataras the predicted third-place team in a group F boasting the likes of Belgium (number 2 on FIFA’s rankings), previous runner-ups Croatia, and fellow underdogs Canada. However, Morocco beat the odds to progress onto the knockout stage in first place. Walid Regragui’s side then beat soccer giants Spain on penalties before ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream with a convincing 1-0 win.
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The Telegraphreports that theCaptainsseries will continue the one already available onNetflix. This continuation will capture the World Cup journey of players like Thiago Silva from Brazil, Gareth Bale of Wales, Denmark’s Simon Kjær, and, crucially, Morocco’s center-back Romain Saïss. Unlike Wales, Denmark and Brazil, whose World Cup campaigns ended in heartbreak, Morocco has become the first African and Arab nation to make it to the semifinals in the tournament’s 92-year history.
The Atlas Lions, as Morocco’s national team is known, is a bit of a curiosity due to 14 out of the 26 players in its squad being born outside of Morocco. Many players hail from France or Spain, as is the case for Saïss, whose father is from Morocco and whose mother is French. Ironically, Morocco already sent Belgium and Spain packing, two countries with huge Moroccan diasporas who took to the streets to celebrate their team’s achievements.
Achraf Hakimi, PSG star and one of thebest right-backs in the world, was born in Spain, and he was the one who tapped in the winning penalty against the country to send them back home. Similarly, goalkeeper sensation Yassine Bounou -aka Bono- was born in Canada before moving back to Morocco and establishing himself in Spanish soccer. These are just some of the highlights that Netflix’sCaptainswill have in store for next year, as even the Moroccan players’ moms have become a topic of fascination for sports media, given that Regragui insisted on bringing everyone’s family with them to Qatar and pictures of Hakimi and Sofiane Boufal celebrating with their mothers have gone viral.
Japan’sBlue Lockanime arc may have been cutshort by Luka Modric’s Croatia, but Morocco’s exploits have made them the world’s favorite team. At the time of writing, Morocco heads into their semifinal match against current champions France, with their captain Saïss making the starting lineup after a potential injury scare.
