Walid Regragui

Playing career

Born in Corbeil-Essonnes, Essonne, 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.

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.

FUS

On 8 May 2014, he landed a head coaching job with Fath Union Sport for the 2014–15 season. Following his league performances and Moroccan Throne Cup victory in 2014, he was named Mars d'Or Coach of the Year in March 2015.

On 22 January 2020, he left the club by mutual consent.

Wydad AC

On 10 August 2021, Regragui was appointed as the head coach of Botola side Wydad AC. The team went on to win the 2021–22 Botola in his first season. 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. He became only the second Moroccan manager to win the African Champions League, after Hussein Ammouta with Wydad in 2017. 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. He was subsequently adjudged the third best behind Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.

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. On 21 September 2022, Regragui coached his first friendly game, which ended in a 1–0 victory against Madagascar.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he led Morocco to the knockout stage for the first time since 1986, and to the quarter finals after beating Spain on penalties in the round of 16, making Morocco the fourth African nation and the first Arab nation to qualify for this stage in a World Cup competition. Regragui himself is the first African manager, and first Arab manager to reach this stage. Morocco would later beat favourite Portugal 1–0 and move on to the semi-finals, not only another first for Morocco, but also making them the first African team, and first Arab team to qualify for the semi-finals. However, they lost to France in the semi-final 2–0 on 14 December. Afterward, they finished in fourth place with a 2–1 loss against Croatia. After the World Cup concluded, Regragui was nominated for the 2022 IFFHS World's Best National Coach award. He placed third behind World Cup winning coach Lionel Scaloni and runner-up Didier Deschamps.

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.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Player

Ajaccio

• Ligue 2: 2001–02

Morocco

• Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2004

Individual

• Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2004

Manager

FUS

• Botola Pro: 2015–16
• Moroccan Throne Cup: 2013–14; runner-up: 2014–15

Al-Duhail

• Qatar Stars League: 2019–20

Wydad AC

• Botola Pro: 2021–22
• CAF Champions League: 2021–22
• Moroccan Throne Cup runner-up: 2020–21

Morocco

• Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2025
• FIFA World Cup fourth place: 2022

Individual

• "Mars d'Or" Moroccan Coach of the Year: 2014
• Botola Pro Best Coach of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2021–22
• Sky News Best Arab coach in the world: 2022
• "Africa d'Or" African Coach of the Year: 2023
• CAF Coach of the Year: 2023

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

References

References

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49. (August 2023). "Africa d'Or 2023: Walid Regragui élu Entraîneur Africain de la Saison !".
50. (11 December 2023). "Entraîneur africain de l'année : La belle pensée de Regragui pour Cissé après son sacre".