The announcement by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) of the final list of candidates for the Best Goal of the 2026 World Cup award sparked a wave of controversy, as it was devoid of any goal by the Moroccan national team, despite the remarkable goals scored by the 'Atlas Lions'.

The list included 12 goals from different stages of the tournament, and FIFA opened the door for public voting to select the winner of the 'Goal of the Tournament' award.

However, the absence of any Moroccan goal surprised a number of fans and observers, who felt that some Moroccan goals deserved a place among the nominees.

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Criticism focused on the exclusion of goals that fans described as combining collective skill and artistic touch, especially the goal scored by Ismael Saibari against Scotland and his goal against Brazil, and the goal of Azzedine Ounahi against Canada.

Fans on social media platforms posted comments saying the list does not fully reflect the most prominent attacking moments of the tournament, calling for a review of the criteria for selecting nominated goals, while others saw that the choices remain subject to the evaluation of FIFA's technical committee and that by nature they will spark differences of opinion.

The International Federation of Association Football has not issued any clarification regarding the reasons for excluding Moroccan goals, limiting itself to publishing the final list and calling for a vote to select the most beautiful goal of the tournament.