Walid Regragui and Medhi Benatia will finally work together, but not in Morocco or at Olympique de Marseille. The two leading figures in Moroccan football have been appointed as consultants by Canal+, with the broadcaster confirming their new roles at its back-to-season conference in Paris on Wednesday.
The expected partnership had been little more than a rumour at the start of the year. In mid-February, Regragui was linked with the possibility of succeeding Roberto De Zerbi as head coach of Olympique de Marseille after the Italian was dismissed.
At the time, Regragui remained Morocco manager, despite having privately submitted his resignation. The 50-year-old had been in charge almost a month after Morocco’s defeat by Senegal in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which Senegal won 1-0 after extra time on 18 January.
The prospect of Regragui working under Benatia, who was then sporting director of Olympique de Marseille, captured the imagination of the Moroccan press and football supporters. Both men were regarded as prominent representatives of Moroccan football, and the possibility of their reunion at club level generated considerable attention.
That scenario ultimately remained only a possibility. Seven months later, however, the pair are set to collaborate in a different country and in a different capacity.
According to Le Parisien, Regragui will appear during Canal+ coverage of European cup matches and on Premier League matchdays. Benatia will also contribute to the broadcaster’s European football coverage and will feature on the programme Late Football Club.
The pair could therefore share some of Canal+’s evening television panels, offering analysis from two figures who have occupied important positions in Moroccan and European football.
Regragui’s departure from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was officially announced on 5 March. His time as Morocco manager came to an end after the national team’s run to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, while Benatia formally ended his association with Olympique de Marseille on 30 June.
Their new broadcasting roles mark a fresh chapter after both men moved away from their previous positions. Regragui will bring his experience as an international coach to Canal+’s European and English football coverage, while Benatia will combine analysis of European matches with his work on Late Football Club.
The appointments mean that a collaboration once discussed in connection with the Morocco national team or Olympique de Marseille will instead take place in a television studio. Regragui and Benatia will now work alongside Canal+’s football presenters and analysts, rather than together within the Moroccan football structure or at a club.