Morocco beats Canada 3-0 to become first African team in consecutive World Cup quarterfinals
Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in Houston to become the first African nation to reach consecutive World Cup quarterfinals, eliminating the first host nation of the 2026 tournament.
Match overview
Morocco opened the round of 16 at NRG Stadium in Houston with a 3-0 win over Canada, securing a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match, played before 68,777 spectators and refereed by England's Michael Oliver, saw the African champions overcome a sluggish first half to score three unanswered goals after the break.
First half: Canada's early pressure and Saibari injury
Canada, one of three tournament co-hosts, started aggressively. Jonathan David missed an early chance in the 4th minute, and Tani Oluwaseyi forced a sharp save from Yassine Bounou in the 10th. Morocco's problems deepened when striker Ismael Saibari, who had scored three group-stage goals and converted the decisive penalty against the Netherlands, limped off injured in the 22nd minute. The half descended into a physical, stop-start affair, producing six yellow cards (four for Morocco) and no goals.
Second half: Ounahi breaks the deadlock
Morocco regrouped at the interval and struck five minutes after the restart. Achraf Hakimi rolled a free-kick across the edge of the box, and Azzedine Ounahi drilled a low shot past Maxime Crepeau. Canada pushed for an equaliser but could not find a way through, with Jonathan David firing a late free-kick over the bar.
Counter-attacks seal victory
As Canada committed players forward, Morocco exploited the space. In the 82nd minute, Brahim Diaz carried the ball into the penalty area and squared for Ounahi to score his second. Deep into stoppage time, Soufiane Rahimi finished another counter-attack to make it 3-0.
- Jonathan David misses early chance for Canada.
- Yassine Bounou saves Tani Oluwaseyi's one-on-one shot.
- Ismael Saibari injured, replaced by Soufiane Rahimi.
- Azzedine Ounahi scores from Achraf Hakimi's free-kick assist.
- Ounahi scores second goal on counter-attack, assisted by Brahim Diaz.
- Soufiane Rahimi seals 3-0 win with another counter-attack goal.
Historical significance
The result makes Morocco the first African side to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in back-to-back tournaments, following their fourth-place finish in Qatar 2022. Canada, who had beaten South Africa 1-0 in the previous round, become the first host nation eliminated from the 2026 edition. Morocco will face either France or Paraguay in the last eight.
