About 45,000 fans from Morocco are expected to attend the World Cup semifinal between Morocco and France, to be held in Qatar. This large turnout reflects the passionate support that has surrounded the Moroccan team throughout the tournament.
Journalist Hanif Ben Berkan from Footmercato shared the news on social media. He noted that roughly four thousand French supporters were anticipated to travel as well, underscoring the high level of international attention the match has drawn.
A notable highlight of the build-up was the sheer scale of Moroccan fan travel. Dozens of flights were arranged in the days leading up to the game, with 30 aircraft chartered specifically to bring supporters to Doha. In addition, the Moroccan Football Federation allocated complimentary tickets to about 3,500 people, ensuring that a broad slice of the fan base could witness this landmark moment in person.
The Moroccan team was making history by reaching the World Cup semifinals for the first time. They marked a historic achievement as the first African nation to advance to this stage, after toppling Spain in the Round of 16 and then defeating Portugal in the quarterfinals.
The 2022 World Cup semifinal between Morocco and France was scheduled for December 14 and was set to commence at 22:00 Moscow time, drawing viewers from around the globe who had followed the team’s extraordinary run.
The tournament itself ran from November 20 to December 18, 2022, across eight stadiums in five host cities. The championship culminated at the National Stadium, where the final contest determined the victor of that historic event.
In another corner of the sports world, former Spartak Moscow midfielder Denis Glushakov responded to comments from Zarema Salikhova, the wife of former Spartak president Leonid Fedun, regarding a controversy from 2019 that some allege involved media attention on the actress. The dialogue underscored how intertwined public interest can be when football and popular culture intersect.