Tarik El Khazri spends much of the year travelling across Morocco, identifying young talent for the Mohammed VI Football Academy — a flagship institution backing the country’s ambitions ahead of co-hosting the 2030 World Cup.
Spread over more than 17 hectares in Salé, the academy — founded in 2010 — boasts multiple pitches, modern gym facilities, a swimming pool, and full academic classrooms. This year, 121 boys aged 12 to 18 arrived from cities, remote regions and even the disputed Western Sahara, hoping to follow in the footsteps of Morocco’s U20 side, who made history by winning last month’s World Cup in Chile.
It was the first time an Arab nation lifted the trophy, and only the second African triumph since Ghana in 2009.
“When a young player joins the academy, everything is provided — meals, accommodation, schooling, medical care,” said El Khazri, the academy’s 42-year-old head of recruitment. Around 90% of players come from low-income families, and the project receives direct financial backing from King Mohammed VI.
The academy sources its talent through a nationwide network of scouting hubs, searching for standout prospects as young as six years old.
On one pitch, older teens ran a tight rondo drill, completing rapid one-touch passes as two players chased in the middle. No matter their age, the goal is the same: “to become a professional player,” said French coach Laurent Cauger, who has worked at the academy for seven years.
In Morocco, many families face financial struggles, he added. “If a player succeeds in football, it can change the future of the entire family.”
The environment, however, is competitive. Cauger recalled the steep progression of Yassir Zabiri, who worried he might be released after limited U17 minutes — only for him to explode on the world stage months later. Zabiri helped Morocco beat Argentina 2-0 in the U20 World Cup final and finished joint top scorer with five goals.
Over the years, 26 academy graduates have played in Morocco’s top flight, with roughly 30 more now in Europe, according to El Khazri. At least five are considered strong candidates for the 2026 World Cup squad.
The academy’s most famous alumnus is Youssef En-Nesyri, the former Sevilla striker now at Fenerbahçe. Former Morocco coach Hervé Renard, who gave him his first senior call-up at 19, described working with En-Nesyri as “a stroke of luck”. The forward went on to score the decisive goal against Portugal in Morocco’s historic run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
But footballing success is only part of the academy’s mission. Players follow the full national curriculum, balancing studies with a tightly structured daily routine: up at 7am, classes at 8:15am, morning training, more schooling after lunch, another training session, evening study and dinner.
Major national team matches can make focus difficult, admitted Fetiha, the academy’s deputy head of education. “They’re still kids,” she laughed.
Yet the academic results speak for themselves — the academy has achieved a 100% high school graduation rate over the past decade, said department head Abderrazak El Rhomari.
That, he emphasised, is essential: “Football is risky. One injury can end a career. With a diploma, they still have a path to a better life.”
