India, June 30 -- Rome wasn't built in a day but neither was Moroccan football.

It was shining on Tuesday after Morocco beat Netherlands in the tie-break to reach the Round of 16 in the World Cup.

After a group stage exit in 1998, the Atlas Lions failed to qualify for another World Cup until 2018, and they also missed three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations in the 1990s.

But a long-term project started in 2009 with a singular aim: make Morocco a force in world football. And it's working.

The men's team reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. The women's team reached the Round of 16 in the 2023 World Cup. The U-17 team reached the quarters of the 2023 tournament. Then, they won their first-ever FIFA U-20 World Cup title in 2...