Monday 24 February 2025 
There are many, heads of state and monarchs, who attend the final stages of the World Cup. They have never hidden their interest in football in general and their national teams in particular.
The unprecedented World Cup, organized by Qatar, is no exception to the rule. Starting with the Emir of Qatar, a great football fan, who attended the vast majority of the matches, and who gave his encouragement to the Arab and African teams, at the same time when some of his Arab peers showed a contrasting interest to what is happening in Doha.
How to explain the absence of the Moroccan monarch in the semi-final of the World Cup, which saw his team achieve the feat of reaching the last four?
King Mohamed VI and the Makhzen have not invested themselves very much in encouraging the Atlas lions, except for a short drive down a street in Rabat to “celebrate” the qualification for the half -final. Yet another unusual image of the king, without impact.
On the other hand, the French president, who made the trip to Doha and who will return there next Sunday, to attend the final, wanted to call the King of Morocco on Wednesday to discuss this exciting meeting and also to know if he will meet in Doha!
But, the reality is quite different.
The King who no longer governs, no longer ventures to leave Morocco, or his Gabonese resort, for obvious health reasons and especially for political reasons. The situation of the Kingdom is most explosive. Moreover, the scenes of jubilation, after each victory of the lions of the Atlas, took place only in a few streets of Rabat and Casablanca. Moroccans, who are hungry and cold and who are preparing for a big day of demonstrations, have their heads elsewhere.
The other reason why the Moroccan royal family was conspicuous by its absence in Qatar is the strong presence of Palestinian colors in the stands of this world championship in Qatar, the first disputed in the Arab World. Moroccan players gathered for a collective photo with the Palestinian flag, which angered the Israeli guardianship of Morocco. This scene is the umpteenth proof that the Moroccan people categorically reject normalization. The king and his court were afraid of the reaction of the stands and above all would have been advised by Tel Aviv to avoid a risky trip to Qatar.
In the end, this world cup which is a total success << the best >> on all levels, has further depressed the king and the Makhzen.