With the historic 2022 campaign in Qatar, striker Youssef En-Nesyri isolated himself at the top of the African team’s statistics
O Moroccan national team’s top scorer in the history of World Cups is the striker Youssef En-Nesyriwhich accumulates three goals scored in the competition. He achieved the unprecedented feat of finding the net in the editions of Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022), leaving behind historical legends of the national sport. The definitive record was consolidated during the journey that transformed the Atlas Lions into the first African team to compete in a semi-final of World Cup.
The trajectory and historic goals of Youssef En-Nesyri
To isolate himself on top of the Moroccan artillery, En-Nesyri demonstrated lethal ability to decide games at a high level. In addition to holding the record for number of goals, the Fenerbahçe athlete also established himself as the first Moroccan player to score in two different editions of the World Cup.
The construction of this sports brand took place in the following clashes:
- Group stage in 2018 (Spain 2 x 2 Morocco): The center forward scored with a header to secure a draw against the Spanisha move that earned him the nickname “flyer” due to his expressive impulsion inside the area.
- Group stage in 2022 (Canada 1 x 2 Morocco): Taking advantage of a serious defensive error by his opponents, he scored the second goal of the match and signed a place in the knockout stage.
- Quarter-finals in 2022 (Morocco 1 x 0 Portugal): The most iconic goal in the country’s history came when he jumped 2.78 meters high to score with a header, eliminating the Europeans and ensuring historic classification.
Ranking of Morocco’s top scorers in world cups
Before En-Nesyri’s absolute protagonism, the title of Morocco’s top scorer was evenly shared by three heroes of the past, all tied with two goals in the net.
Below is the official top scorer ranking from the team:
- 1. Youssef En-Nesyri (3 gols): The current holder of the absolute record, adding his achievements in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
- 2. Abderrazak Khairi (2 goals): The main highlight of the 1986 generation, he scored twice in the 3-1 victory over Portugal, which represented the first Moroccan victory in the tournament.
- 3. Salaheddine Bassir (2 gols): The offensive star of the 1998 team, he scored two goals in the 3-0 victory against Scotland.
- 4. Abdeljalil Hadda (2 goals): Known in football as “Camacho”, also scored twice in the World Cup in France in 1998, punishing the defenses of Norway and Scotland.
- 5. Tie group (1 goal each): Several players only scored once for their country. The long list includes pioneers such as Human beings and Maouhoub Ghazouani (in the 1970 edition) and current pillars such as attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech and winger Zakaria Aboukhlal (both in 2022).
Who can increase the statistics in the 2026 World Cup?
The Moroccan team confirmed their early presence at the 2026 World Cupachieving his third consecutive participation in the world championship. This favorable calendar opens up ample space for country’s offensive statistics are updated on North American soil.
Himself Youssef En-Nesyri remains active and will have the opportunity to expand its comfortable margin at the top of the list. In parallel, internationally tested athletes, such as Hakim Ziyech, will seek to increase their individual numbers. Another name that attracts attention is that of Atacante Ayoub El Kaabi, who has been recording an excellent goal average in the African Qualifiers and is emerging as a strong candidate to debut in the World Cup top scorer.
The successive breaking of these records highlights the clear tactical and technical maturity of Moroccan football. By fusing the tactical intensity developed in the big European clubs with native African skill, Morocco abandoned the old sporting underdog label to establish itself as a highly competitive force on the FIFA scene.
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