Walid Regragui had reportedly already decided to leave Morocco’s national team before the final whistle of the January 18, 2025 AFCON final, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Senegal in Rabat marked by controversial refereeing. The federation initially denied resignation reports in February, but a mutual termination followed, officially confirmed on March 5, 2026, with Regragui citing a “new vision” ahead of 2026 rather than the defeat alone.
According to Regragui’s own later account, the decision was already “sealed” before the end of the evening of the final — a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Senegal in Rabat on January 18, 2025 — roughly six weeks before his departure was officially confirmed in early March 2026. The match was played under unusual conditions and marked by heavy controversy over refereeing decisions, a context that reportedly reinforced his sense that a cycle had ended for both him and the national team.
The timeline stretched over several weeks. Reports of a possible resignation and a letter sent to the Moroccan Football Federation surfaced in early February 2026, shortly after the AFCON campaign concluded. The federation publicly denied these claims at the time, insisting Regragui remained in charge of the Atlas Lions. Weeks later, the two parties reached a mutual termination agreement, with the separation reported around March 4, 2026. The move was made official the following day, March 5, during a press conference that closed a tenure of roughly three and a half years at the helm. Throughout this period, the FRMF continued overseeing football development across the country, a role that placed it at the center of decisions regarding the national team’s future direction.
Explaining his motivations, Regragui pointed to the need for a “new vision” and fresh energy to allow the squad to keep progressing ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He suggested another coach might be better positioned to lead Morocco into that next phase, framing his exit as an act of rejuvenation rather than a reaction to the final’s result alone. Several analyses also cited mental fatigue after more than three years in a highly scrutinized role, though Regragui described his choice as mature and long considered rather than impulsive.
The announcement itself generated media controversy. Outlets including Foot Mercato and Yahoo Sports had reported the existence of a resignation letter submitted immediately after the CAN final, a claim the federation initially rejected. Later clarifications indicated the eventual split was handled through mutual discussion rather than a unilateral resignation, with multiple sources describing the outcome as a negotiated end to the collaboration.
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