FIFA World Cup 2026: Morocco Reach Back-to-Back Quarter-Finals

Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in Houston, thanks to a second-half brace from midfielder Azzedine Ounahi and a stoppage-time strike from Soufiane Rahimi.

Canada, who had never won a World Cup match before this tournament, began brightly, pressing high and creating chances.

Their best opportunity came when Ali Ahmed set up Tani Oluwaseyi, but Morocco’s Canada-born goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied him with a sharp save.

The Atlas Lions struggled to find rhythm early on and suffered a setback when leading scorer Ismael Saibari limped off injured after 22 minutes.

The turning point came after the restart.

Achraf Hakimi’s clever dead-ball routine found Ounahi at the edge of the box, and the midfielder swept home a precise first-time shot to break the deadlock.

From there, Morocco grew in confidence, while Canada’s intensity waned. Tajon Buchanan tested Bounou with a low drive, but Ounahi struck again in the 82nd minute, rifling into the roof of the net from Brahim Diaz’s lay-off.

His brace marked the first by an African player in the knockout rounds since Senegal’s Henri Camara in 2002.

Rahimi, who had earlier hit the crossbar, sealed the win in added time with a composed finish after latching onto another Diaz through ball.

The result confirmed Morocco’s place in back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals, making them the first African nation to reach the last eight more than once.

For Canada, the defeat ended a historic run that included their first-ever World Cup win and progression to the Round of 16.