Morocco booked a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after beating co-hosts Canada 3-0 in Houston, ending the hosts’ historic run at the tournament.
Second-half goals from Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi secured victory for the Atlas Lions, who are now one win away from matching their remarkable semi-final appearance at the 2022 World Cup.
The defeat also made Canada the first of the three tournament co-hosts to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.
Morocco punish missed Canadian chances
Canada made the brighter start and should have taken the lead inside the opening minutes.
Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi both found themselves through on goal but were denied by Morocco goalkeeper Bono, whose early saves kept his side in the contest.
The first half became increasingly physical, with both teams involved in several heated exchanges as the referee handed out seven yellow cards.
Morocco struggled to create clear opportunities before the break but returned with greater purpose after halftime.
Five minutes into the second half, Achraf Hakimi’s cut-back from a well-worked free-kick found Ounahi on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder calmly swept his effort beyond Maxime Crepeau to give Morocco the lead.
Atlas Lions finish strongly
Canada pushed forward in search of an equaliser but left spaces at the back, allowing Morocco to strike again.
Ounahi completed his brace eight minutes from time after finishing a quick counterattack to put the result beyond doubt.
The African side continued to threaten and nearly added another when Rahimi’s looping header struck the crossbar.
The striker eventually got on the scoresheet in stoppage time, sliding his finish underneath Crepeau to complete an emphatic victory.
The result sends Morocco into the quarter-finals where they would face France or Paraguay.
Although Canada’s journey ended in defeat, the tournament marked a significant milestone for the co-hosts. They recorded their first World Cup point, first victory, first qualification from the group stage and first knockout win in the men’s competition.
Morocco will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals as they aim to equal or surpass their historic run to the last four achieved in Qatar four years ago.
