Morocco's run to the Semifinal — Qatar 2022

Morocco's semifinal run in Qatar 2022 was the most profound African breakthrough World Cup history, as they became the first African or Arab nation to reach that stage while eliminating Belgium, Spain (on penalties), and Portugal. Their defensive discipline under Walid Regragui was extraordinary, conceding just one goal in open play across six knockout matches — a feat that outperforms #2 Bulgaria's 1994 run by allowing 30% fewer goals in the same number of games. This defensive solidity, anchored by a backline that gave up only 0.17 expected goals per match in the knockout rounds, set a new standard for underdog resilience.