Morocco’s Men’s U20s Rout Italy 4-1 for Bronze at the 2026 Mediterranean Games

Four goals in 75 minutes were enough for Morocco’s U20 side to close out the 2026 Mediterranean Games with a bronze medal, beating hosts Italy 4-1 in Sunday’s third-place playoff at Stadio Iacovone in Taranto. The result gave Morocco a podium finish at the 20th edition of the Games, while Italy’s U20s ended the tournament in fourth place in front of their own supporters.

Mohammed Mounssef set the tone early, finishing with his right foot in the 9th minute after Morocco pressed high from kickoff and forced turnovers in Italy’s build-up play. That early breakthrough shaped the rest of the match, pushing Italy into a more open approach that Morocco was able to exploit throughout.

The second half turned into a decisive stretch for Morocco. Abdelali Eddaoudi doubled the lead in the 47th minute, and Karim Essaadi added a third just three minutes later, in the 50th. Those two goals inside five minutes of the restart gave Morocco a three-goal cushion and effectively settled the outcome.

Italy pulled one back through Giammattei in the 59th minute, but Morocco’s defense stayed compact and absorbed the pressure that followed. Anass Benomar sealed the win in the 75th minute, finishing off a counterattack after Italy had committed more players forward in search of a comeback.

Coach Ludovic Batelli managed the game calmly in the second half, using substitutions to protect Morocco’s lead and maintain control against an Italian side that grew more direct as the deficit widened. Many of these players progressed through Morocco’s broader football pipeline, which channels talent from grassroots academies through the youth national teams and into the professional ranks.

This bronze medal marks Morocco’s fourth in Mediterranean Games men’s football history, following results in 1991, 2018, and 2022. It comes after a group stage in which Morocco drew 2-2 with Türkiye and lost 1-0 to Tunisia, before falling to Algeria on penalties in the semifinal. Bouncing back from that setback to beat the host nation by three goals reflects well on the squad’s mentality and depth heading into future age-group competitions. Several members of this squad have come through the Mohammed VI Football Academy, which has become a central pillar in developing Morocco’s elite young talent.

For Italy, the loss ends a home tournament on a difficult note, with the early concession and second-half collapse exposing gaps that will likely be addressed as the squad regroups.