With Bono at their back, Morocco aim for yet more FIFA World Cup history | OneFootball

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday night, memories of Qatar 2022 were slowly becoming a distant memory.

But there are moments etched forever in the hearts and minds of Moroccans the world over, when their national team made it all the way to the semi-finals and thus became the first African nation to reach the final four of the sport’s premier tournament.

For that, a lot of thanks must go to Yassine Bono, the imperious shot-stopper who at the time was on the books of Sevilla. Since, though, he has since called Saudi Arabia, and Al Hilal in particular, his home.

While Bono was outstanding in the group stage four years ago, he went to astronomic levels in Morocco’s victory on penalties in the last-16 against Spain, making numerous top-draw saves in regular time before repelling two spot-kicks for his side to prevail 3-0 in the shootout.

"We are so happy for the fans, for our people, for our families," Bono declared after the match. "We are starting to realise what this win represents for Morocco but also all around the world. We felt the incredible support from our fans, and we used it today."

A 1-0 win against Portugal in the quarter-final, with Bono again the hero by making one incredible save in particular to deny future Al Nassr star Joao Felix, sent Morocco into rarified air.

And, while they lost their semi-final to France, Walid Regragui’s men exited the tournament as heroes having left an indelible mark. Aptly, they entered the record books as the first Arab team to reach the World Cup’s final four at the first World Cup hosted by an Arab country.

Bono was already regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, having been named La Liga's finest the season before. But, through those incredible few weeks in Qatar, he'd catapulted himself into the conversation as the game’s overall No.1.

Coveted by major European clubs, Bono instead chose to go back to the Gulf in the summer of 2023 to further his club career. From there, Al Hilal have been the beneficiaries of his gifted glove work for the past three Roshn Saudi League seasons.

Awarded the Golden Glove in his debut RSL campaign, when Al Hilal captured the league crown undefeated, Bono’s standards have barely dropped since.

Again, in this season just gone, he provided the joint-best number of clean sheets (14), even if he was pipped to the Golden Glove by Al Ahli’s Edouard Mendy by virtue of the Senegal star’s superior goals-conceded-per-game rate and penalty record.

Still, Bono’s presence and aura remain as robust as ever and, while Al Hilal came up short in the 2025-26 RSL despite another undefeated season, he remains as valuable as ever to Morocco as they eye a repeat performance of that remarkable run from 2022.

Thanks to his sustained form at Al Hilal - 2023-24 RSL and King's Cup winner, successive Saudi Super Cup crowns, star man during last year's incredible FIFA Club World Cup campaign, King's Cup champion last month - Bono comes into the 2026 World Cup bow with that titanic talent even more refined.

Indeed, in November, he was named the 2025 CAF Goalkeeper of the Year, claiming the honour for the second time in the past three years.

"I’m possibly a little better prepared mentally, thanks to my experience," Bono recently told FIFA.com. "My main goal is to approach the competition with a real sense of enjoyment, to give it my all, and above all, to have no regrets."

For Bono and Morocco to repeat their heroics, however, will be no mean feat. While in 2022 they had the element of surprise on their side - they were still ranked highly, at No.22 in the world - that no longer exists given those 2022 exploits, and in the most recent Africa Cup of Nations.

Now, as the eighth-best team in FIFA's official rankings, they represent a known quantity.

Drawn in Group C alongside powerhouse Brazil, as well as Scotland and Haiti, most would expect Morocco to once again progress from the group stage.

Bono will be familiar, too, with some of the players he'll face, with Al Ittihad captain Fabinho and Al Ahli defender in the Brazil squad, and Al Ettifaq's Jack Hendry selected for Scotland.

But, buoyed by their experience four years ago and beginning against Brazil early on Sunday, Morocco won't fear anyone. You can’t put a limit on ambition but, with Bono at the back, you know the African history-makers will be tough to beat.

"I’m sure the Moroccan people will be proud of, and pleased, with the team," the Al Hilal No.1 said. "Let’s hope we can pull off something really, really big again, just like we did in 2022.

"At the 2026 World Cup, Morocco will make their mark on world football, once again."