Three children from the Moroccan city of Taza have received a special royal gesture from His Majesty King Mohammed VI after a spontaneous photograph taken during Morocco’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign became one of the tournament’s most touching human-interest stories.
The story began during Morocco’s Round of 16 match against Canada, when Mohamed, Amine and Youssef, from the Echouhada neighborhood in Taza, were photographed sitting on the wall of a house while watching the match through an open window. The image quickly became a symbol of Moroccan supporters’ passion for their national team.
The photograph spread widely across social media platforms, attracting thousands of reactions and drawing the attention of several Moroccan national team players as well as members of the coaching staff, who praised the authenticity and emotional significance of the moment.
The story later took an even more memorable turn when the three children received special gifts from His Majesty King Mohammed VI. The royal gesture brought great happiness to the children and their families and was widely welcomed by many Moroccans.
In a video that circulated on social media, the children expressed their gratitude and joy, offering prayers for the King’s speedy recovery, good health and continued well-being. They said the experience would remain one of the happiest memories of their lives.
The children also thanked national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and Moroccan international Ayoub Bouaddi, who helped spread their story by sharing the photograph on social media platforms.
They concluded by expressing their dream of meeting the Moroccan national team players in person, saying that a simple photograph taken while supporting their country had turned into an unforgettable human story thanks to the royal gesture.