Morocco face France in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday as the Atlas Lions look to reach the last four once again.

It is a bold statement, but Neil Ward has witnessed the country's passion and plans first hand. The Welshman served as director of technical operations at the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF). He was in Rabat when Morocco became the first ever African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2022 - losing 2-0 to France - and saw how "it took over all the city right through until the early hours of the morning, with the king out celebrating as well". The Atlas Lions are now bidding to make history once more as they face France again on Thursday (21:00 BST) for a place in the last four. Whatever happens at Boston Stadium, it does not feel like the co-hosts of the next World Cup in 2030 are finished yet. As well as delivering the Uefa Pro Licence and A-licence as a coaching educator, he was responsible for youth development across Morocco between 2020 and 2024. There has been sustained investment in the game, which has been backed by King Mohammed VI. Significant sums have been pumped into a state-of-the-art training facility, a national academy, regional training centres, stadium redevelopments and thousands of amateur pitches.