Canada: Moroccans in Montreal Celebrate the U20 Atlas Lions’ World Cup Triumph

In the well-known Saint-Léonard neighborhood, hundreds of Moroccans of all ages and backgrounds gathered in one of the city’s large venues to watch the highly anticipated final against Argentina.

Wearing national colors and chanting in praise of the Kingdom and the Atlas Lions, the Moroccan community created a festive atmosphere, reacting with unmatched passion to every dazzling play by Othmane Maamma, every goal from the talented Yassir Zbiri, and every touch from the warrior Gessime Yassine. Children, women, young adults, and seniors, all expressing their unwavering connection to the homeland, remained confident in victory given the Atlas Lions’ exceptional journey through the tournament, marked by wins against top teams such as Brazil, Spain, and France.

The crowd erupted in joy as Zabiri delivered both goals that secured the historic win against Argentina.

As soon as the final whistle blew, Moroccans in Montreal immediately took to the streets to celebrate, with fireworks and honking filling the night—a fitting tribute to the Kingdom’s first-ever World Cup title.

For Youssef, 35, “it’s a dream come true. We’ve finally become world champions after narrowly missing out in the 2022 World Cup,” he told MAP, his voice filled with emotion. “The Atlas Lions have shown that Moroccans can be world champions,” he added.

Ikram, a 20-year-old Moroccan, said, “This victory is the result of the efforts made in infrastructure, training, and talent scouting, not to mention the role of the Mohammed VI Football Academy.” She added enthusiastically, “Now it’s the Lions’ turn to win the Africa Cup of Nations,” noting that she had already purchased tickets to travel to Morocco and support the national team at the upcoming tournament.

Editorial team/le7tv