Walid Regragui
Moroccan footballer and manager (born 1975)
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Walid Regragui (also spelled Hoalid or Oualid; Arabic: وليد الركراكي; born 23 September 1975) is a Moroccan professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of the Morocco national team.
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Regragui with Morocco in 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Walid Regragui[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 23 September 1975[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Corbeil-Essonnes, France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Corbeil-Essonnes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Racing Paris | 17 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Toulouse | 37 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Ajaccio | 72 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Racing Santander | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Dijon | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Grenoble | 39 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Moghreb Tétouan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | FC Fleury 91 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 200 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2009 | Morocco[3] | 44 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2020 | FUS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Al-Duhail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Wydad AC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2026 | Morocco | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As a player, he played as a right-back for the Morocco national team. As a coach, he made history at the international level when he led Morocco to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first national team from Africa and the Arab world to reach this stage. He then qualified Morocco for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Playing career
Born in Corbeil-Essonnes, Essonne,[4] France, Regragui was a full international for Morocco. Clubs he played for include Toulouse, AC Ajaccio, Grenoble and Racing Santander. In the summer of 2009, he moved from Grenoble to Moroccan club Moghreb Tétouan.[5]
Regragui played in the Moroccan squad that reached the final of the 2004 AFCON, losing 1-2 to Tunisia.[6]
Managerial career
Morocco
After retiring as a player, Regragui started his football coaching career as the assistant coach of Morocco's national team in September 2012.[citation needed]
FUS
On 8 May 2014, he landed a head coaching job with Fath Union Sport for the 2014–15 season.[7] Following his league performances and Moroccan Throne Cup victory in 2014, he was named Mars d'Or Coach of the Year in March 2015.[8][9]
On 22 January 2020, he left the club by mutual consent.[10]
Wydad AC
On 10 August 2021, Regragui was appointed as the head coach of Botola side Wydad AC.[11] The team went on to win the 2021–22 Botola in his first season.[citation needed] On 30 May 2022, he led Wydad AC to win its third CAF Champions League title, after beating defending champions Al Ahly in the final.[12] He became only the second Moroccan manager to win the African Champions League, after Hussein Ammouta with Wydad in 2017.[13] In December 2022, Regragui was nominated for the 2022 IFFHS World's Best Club Coach for his performance in the year in review with Wydad before becoming head coach of the Moroccan national team.[14] He was subsequently adjudged the third best behind Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.[15]
Return to Morocco
On 31 August 2022, Regragui was appointed as the new head coach for the Morocco national team after the dismissal of former head coach Vahid Halilhodžić.[16][17] On 21 September 2022, Regragui coached his first friendly game, which ended in a 1–0 victory against Madagascar.[18]
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he led Morocco to the knockout stage for the first time since 1986,[19] and to the quarter finals after beating Spain on penalties in the round of 16,[20] making Morocco the fourth African nation and the first Arab nation to qualify for this stage in a World Cup competition.[21][22] Regragui himself is the first African manager, and first Arab manager to reach this stage. Morocco would later beat favourite[23][24] Portugal 1–0 and move on to the semi-finals,[25] not only another first for Morocco, but also making them the first African team, and first Arab team to qualify for the semi-finals.[26][27][28] However, they lost to France in the semi-final 2–0 on 14 December.[29] Afterward, they finished in fourth place with a 2–1 loss against Croatia.[30] After the World Cup concluded, Regragui was nominated for the 2022 IFFHS World's Best National Coach award.[31] He placed third behind World Cup winning coach Lionel Scaloni and runner-up Didier Deschamps.[32][33]
Between June 2024 and December 2025, Morocco enjoyed a strong run of form under Regragui, recording a streak of 19 consecutive victories in international matches, one of the longest winning runs for a national team manager.[34] During this period, he also led Morocco to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first African nation to secure a place at the tournament.[35]
At the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted on home soil, he guided Morocco to the final, where they lost 1–0 to Senegal after extra time.[36] On 5 March 2026, he resigned from his role as head coach of the national team.[37]
Managerial statistics
Honours
Player
Ajaccio
Morocco
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2004[40]
Individual
Manager
FUS
- Botola Pro: 2015–16
- Moroccan Throne Cup: 2013–14; runner-up: 2014–15
Al-Duhail
Wydad AC
Morocco
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2025[44]
- FIFA World Cup fourth place: 2022[45]
Individual
- "Mars d'Or" Moroccan Coach of the Year: 2014[46][9]
- Botola Pro Best Coach of the Season: 2014–15,[47] 2015–16,[48][49] 2021–22[50]
- Sky News Best Arab coach in the world: 2022[51][52]
- "Africa d'Or" African Coach of the Year: 2023[53]
- CAF Coach of the Year: 2023[54]
Order
- Officer of the Order of National Merit (Morocco): 2004
- Commander of the Order of National Merit (Morocco): 2016
- Commander of the Order of the Throne (Morocco): 2022
