Morocco beats Canada 3-0 to reach World Cup quarterfinals, Ounahi scores twice
Azzedine Ounahi struck twice as Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in the round of 16, becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for a second time.
Match recap
Morocco secured a place in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals with a commanding second-half display against Canada at Houston Stadium (some sources report the venue as Dallas). After a goalless first half in which Canada created the better chances, the Atlas Lions took control. Achraf Hakimi's clever free-kick found Ounahi on the edge of the box in the 50th minute, and the former Panathinaikos midfielder swept the ball into the bottom corner. Canada pushed for an equaliser but left gaps at the back, and Ounahi struck again in the 82nd minute, finishing off a counter-attack led by Brahim Diaz. Diaz then set up Soufiane Rahimi for a close-range third in the eighth minute of stoppage time to complete the 3-0 scoreline.
- Canada starts strongly, creating early chances.
- Jonathan David's shot saved by Bono.
- Oluwaseyi denied by Bono in one-on-one.
- Morocco's Saibari injured, replaced by Rahimi.
- Score remains 0-0 after a tight first half.
- Ounahi scores from Hakimi's free-kick routine (1-0).
- Ounahi finishes a counter-attack, assisted by Brahim Diaz (2-0).
- Rahimi taps in from Diaz's pass to seal 3-0 win.
- Morocco advances to the quarterfinals.
Ounahi's double
Ounahi was named player of the match after his two-goal performance. His first was a composed finish from outside the area following a short free-kick routine; his second came from a Diaz cutback after a rapid break. The brace made him only the third African player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match, joining Cameroon's Roger Milla (1990) and Senegal's Henri Camara (2002).
I am proud. It was a very difficult game, we played to continue in the tournament. In the first half we were 100% focused on the match. In the second half we took risks, gave everything and finally managed to make all the people of Morocco proud and happy and surely they will go out into the streets to celebrate. We are proud that we succeeded in a match like this.
Historic milestone
With this victory, Morocco became the first African team to appear in two World Cup quarterfinals, having also reached the last eight in Qatar 2022 (where they went on to the semifinals). Their run in 2026 has been built on resilience: after finishing second in a group containing Brazil, Scotland and Haiti, they eliminated the Netherlands on penalties in the round of 32 before dispatching Canada. The achievement underlines Morocco's growing status in global football.
Road ahead
Morocco will face the winner of the France vs Paraguay tie in the quarterfinals. That match is scheduled for 9 July at 23:00 local time in Boston. Canada, coached by Jesse Marsch, exit the tournament after a spirited campaign that saw them push Morocco early on but ultimately fall short.
