'He is so proud!' Atlas Lions coach takes congratulation call from King of Morocco

Walid Regragui has masterminded the success story of the World Cup, and monarch Mohammed VI could not be happier

Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrate after their penalty shoot-out victory in the World Cup last-16 match against Spain at Education City Stadium on December 6, 2022. Getty

Morocco's players celebrate after their 3-0 penalty shoot-out victory. Getty

Morocco's Achraf Hakimi celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning penalty. AFP

Morocco goalkeeper Bono saves from Sergio Busquets of Spain during the penalty shoot-out. EPA

Dejected Spain players after the match. AFP

Morocco players celebrate the win. AFP

Achraf Hakimi of Morocco celebrates after the team's victory in the penalty shoot-out against Spain. Getty

Achraf Hakimi of Morocco scores the team's fourth and winning penalty in the shoot-out against Spain. Getty

Morocco's Achraf Hakimi scores the winning penalty. Reuters

Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon watches Morocco's Achraf Hakimi's winning penalty hits the back of the net. AP

Goalkeeper Bono of Morocco saves the third penalty by Sergio Busquets of Spain. Getty

Morocco players react after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saves a penalty from Spain's Carlos Soler. PA

Morocco's Hakim Ziyech scores a penalty shoot-out. AP

Bono of Morocco makes a save against a penalty by Carlos Soler of Spain in the penalty shoot-out. Getty

Unai Simon of Spain makes a save against Walid Cheddira of Morocco. Getty

Spain's Marco Asensio hits the side netting with a shot. AP

Spain's Marco Asensio after hitting the side netting with an attempt on goal. AFP

Morocco keeper Bono punches the ball clear. Getty

Morocco goalkeeper Bono is put under pressure by Marco Asensio of Spain. Getty

Morocco's Nayef Aguerd heads a good chance over the bar. AP

Morocco's Nayef Aguerd heads the ball over the bar. AFP

Noussair Mazraoui of Morocco battles for possession with Ferran Torres of Spain. Getty

Youssef En-Nesyri, Sergio Busquets and Nayef Aguerd challenge for the ball. EPA

Morocco's Noussair Mazraoui and Spain's Ferran Torres battle. AP

Spain's forward Marco Asensio fights for the ball with Morocco's Romain Ghanem Saiss. AFP

Morocco keeper Bono saves a shot by Spain's Gavi. AP

Spain manager Luis Enrique talks to Gavi. EPA

Morocco keeper Bono tips a shot from Spain's Gavi on to the bar. Getty

Spain's Gavi talks to Argentinian referee Fernando Rapallini after fouling Morocco's Sofiane Boufal. AFP

Spain's Dani Olmo grimaces in pain. AP

Spain's Aymeric Laporte challenges for the ball against Morocco's Walid Cheddira. AP

Morocco's Nayef Aguerd walks off the pitch after picking up an injury. AP

Morocco midfielder Hakim Ziyech talks with coach Walid Regragui. AFP

Morocco's goalkeeper Bono punches clear. AFP

Aymeric Laporte of Spain is booked. EPA

Achraf Hakimi answered the call on the pitch as, to a man, his team had done before. Off it, Walid Regragui did likewise. Literally.

“It’s extraordinary for a Moroccan to receive that call,” said the manager, moments after taking congratulations by phone from the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI.

“Extraordinary” pretty much summed up what had transpired at Education City Stadium and Morocco’s World Cup thus far. The North Africans had overcome Spain on penalties, a display of strength both in body and mind, to become the first Arab team to reach the quarter-finals of football’s showpiece tournament.

No wonder Regragui was soon chatting with the Moroccan monarch.

“He always encourages us, and he gives us advice and calls on us to give our all,” Regragui said. “His message is always the same: he is proud of the players, and he is proud of us.

“And as a result we want to go even further and do even better the next time.”

Doing even better would require some effort. But these Moroccans deal in endeavour, in a fortitude and a fearlessness that has carried them further in Doha than most anticipated.

On Tuesday night, noise pulsating around Education City, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, better known as "Bono", was inspired. Hakimi impudent. Bono saved two of Spain’s spot-kicks; Hakimi dinked the settler audaciously.

But before them, throughout the previous 120 minutes and the tournament’s two-and-a-half weeks, Morocco have been immense. Against Spain, Sofyan Amrabat and Azzedine Ounahi were tireless and tenacious in the middle, in the middle of everywhere, really; Romain Saiss a rock in central defence alongside the equally resolute Nayef Aguerd; Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui each outstanding at full-back. Or the full length of their respective flanks.

Spain, for all their 77 per cent possession and 1,000-plus passes, had a solitary shot on goal. Morocco had plugged the gaps, pushed back the advancing Spaniards and rendered them redundant. They even had the clearer opportunities to seal it before the lottery of a shoot-out.

Post-match, Luis Enrique, the beaten Spain manager, singled out Ounahi – “the No 8” – because he knew already all about Amrabat.

“He didn’t stop running,” Enrique said. “He must be feeling destroyed.”

You could not fault Ounahi if he was. The entire team, to be fair. For Morocco’s might does take root in their pride in their shirt, their collective commitment to their cause. In their flag, their country, their people.

“For a national team like ours, the adrenalin and the pressure is so intense,” Regragui said afterwards. “You want to go down in history, but that takes up a lot of energy.

“When you have a heart, energy and love,” he added, “you win matches.”

That should not mask Morocco’s considerable talent, though. They are not among the final eight sides at a World Cup purely on conviction alone. They are tactically disciplined, organised to an extent that belies Regragui’s few months in the job – they have conceded once all tournament: Aguerd's own goal in the win against Canada – and have the technical quality to trouble the best teams in Qatar.

Hakimi is a star among a sea of them at Paris Saint-Germain; Mazraoui plies his trade with Bayern Munich. Hakim Ziyech, another example of Regragui’s man-management that is married to obvious tactical acumen, for Chelsea of the Premier League. Amrabat in Serie A, with Fiorentina. Bono and striker Youssef En-Nesyri, another success story of this World Cup, with Spain’s Sevilla.

Morocco v Spain player ratings

In beating the Spanish, Morocco proved the group-stage draw with 2018 runners-up Croatia, and the victory against world No 2 Belgium, were no flukes. This was no minnow having their day while their opponents were off. Add the 2010 world champions to the list. A penny for Portugal’s thoughts?

These are unprecedented times, for Morocco and for the Arab footballing world who in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday united behind this most united of sides. In the press conference following Spain, a journalist took the microphone, but announced he did not have a question.

Speaking directly to Regragui and Bono, the reporter said: “I just want to thank you because today 40 million people are happy. I’m speaking with tears in my eyes because you have made Moroccan history.”

Arab history, as well. Before winger Sofiane Boufal stepped out of the stadium to a cacophony of cheers and chants, to the incessant sound of car horns blaring all around Doha long into the night, he shared the victory with those who had evidently embraced it as if one of their own.

“Thanks to all the Moroccans all over the world for their support, to all Arab people, to all Muslim people,” Boufal said. “This win belongs to you.”

And it genuinely felt it. A World Cup dominated on the pitch by Mbappe and Messi – and now by Morocco, too.