Scotland enter their second group game at the 2026 World Cup facing Morocco — ranked sixth in the world — after defeating Haiti in their opener. Having reached the semi-finals at Qatar 2022 and drawn with Brazil to open their campaign this time, Morocco represent a significantly tougher test.

Here are four Atlas Lions players Scotland's coaching staff will have been studying closely.

Yassine Bounou

Club: Al-Hilal | Age: 35 | Position: Goalkeeper | Caps: 90 | Clean sheets: 53

Known universally as 'Bono', Bounou was Morocco's standout performer in Qatar, saving two penalties in the last-16 shootout victory over Spain on the road to the country's first-ever World Cup semi-final. King Mohammed VI awarded him the Order of the Throne in recognition of those heroics.

A two-time Europa League champion with Sevilla — having previously played for Girona and Zaragoza — Bounou made the move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in 2023-24.

Brahim Diaz

Club: Real Madrid | Age: 26 | Position: Attacking midfield | Caps: 26 | Goals: 14

Diaz grabbed global attention for the wrong reasons in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal in January, missing a casual Panenka penalty — though he had scored five goals across the tournament's opening five matches.

The 26-year-old joined Manchester City as a 16-year-old in 2015, earning a Premier League winner's medal in 2017-18 before completing a £21 million move to Real Madrid — a record fee for a City academy graduate at that time. A loan spell at AC Milan yielded a Serie A title in 2021-22, and his comfort in tight spaces is traced back to playing futsal from the age of four.

Noussair Mazraoui

Club: Manchester United | Age: 28 | Position: Defence | Caps: 45 | Goals: 2

The Manchester United defender has operated in six different positions for club and country over the past two seasons, including attacking midfield, though he is expected to line up at left-back against Scotland. Mazraoui was a pillar of the Morocco side that reached the Qatar 2022 semi-finals.

After being substituted in the defeat to France, it emerged he had been playing through inflamed heart tissue following a Covid-19 infection contracted during the tournament — a testament to his commitment to the Atlas Lions cause.

Sofyan Amrabat

Club: Real Betis (on loan from Fenerbahce) | Age: 29 | Position: Defensive midfield | Caps: 75 | Goals: 0

No outfield player covered more ground at Qatar 2022 than Amrabat, who ran more than 50 miles across the tournament while playing every single minute of Morocco's run to the semi-finals. He started six of their eight qualifying matches for this edition.

Growing up, Amrabat modelled himself on World Cup winners Zinedine Zidane and Andres Iniesta before developing a deeper appreciation for defensive midfielders, including former Manchester City star Yaya Toure.