Morocco’s World Cup success sparks a debate about Arab identity

was almost too much for a single football match. A former colonial power defended its title against the country it once occupied. Some members of one squad could just as well have played for their opponents in a clash of hyphenated identities. The underdogs embraced a symbol of regional struggle as their own, even as their countrymen argued about whether they truly belonged to that region.In the group stage, this was a World Cup full of surprises. Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina; Japan beat Spain and Germany to emerge atop their bracket. By the semi-finals, though, the remaining teams looked mostly predictable: defending champions France, two-time winners Argentina, and Croatia, the runners-up in 2018.