RABAT — Morocco’s king rewarded the national football team with the highest order after their history-making performance in the 2022 World Cup.

According to the Moroccan national news agency, King Mohammed VI welcomed the team at the Royal Palace in the capital Rabat, recognizing their achievements in the World Cup, which concluded last weekend.

In the semifinals, France defeated Morocco 2-0 to send them to the third-place playoff, where Morocco lost to Croatia 2-1 to end their World Cup campaign.

But this performance made the Atlas Lions the first African nation as well as the first Arab one to qualify for the World Cup semifinals.

Thousands of Moroccans flocked to Mohammed V and Hassan II avenues in Rabat to greet the Atlas Lions. — Agencies