Morocco's FRMF Reworks Atlas Lions Schedule, Proposes Moving El Salvador Friendly to Rabat

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has decided to amend the Morocco national team's schedule by cancelling the friendly match planned against El Salvador in Washington and relocating it to Morocco, as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup finals.

In an official letter addressed to the Salvadoran Football Federation, the Federation explained that the decision came as a result of a series of constraints, foremost among them the overlap of the finals of continental club competitions in Europe and Asia with the international break, alongside changes to the schedule of the domestic leagues in Morocco and Saudi Arabia, as well as injuries sustained by a number of key players.

The Federation added that these factors would directly affect the make-up of the national team, as the side would be deprived of a significant number of its key players, meaning the match would be played with an incomplete squad, which is at odds with the technical objectives set for this preparatory stage.

The Federation stressed that it was impossible to travel to the United States on the date originally set for 29 May, preferring instead to schedule the fixture under better conditions that would guarantee the presence of most of the national team's players.

In return, the Federation underlined the importance of facing El Salvador as part of its World Cup preparation programme, proposing that the match be held on 2 June in the city of Rabat, while declaring its readiness to cover all travel and accommodation costs for the Salvadoran national team's delegation.

The Federation concluded its letter by apologising for the change, while reaffirming its openness to continuing coordination with the Salvadoran side in order to reach a final arrangement that ensures the match takes place under the best possible conditions and strengthens cooperative relations between the two parties.