Morocco delivered another impressive performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating co-hosts Canada 3-0 on Saturday to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Azzedine Ounahi starred for the Atlas Lions with a second-half brace before Soufiane Rahimi sealed the convincing victory with a stoppage-time goal at the NRG Stadium in Houston.
The win sends Morocco into the last eight, where they will face either France or Paraguay in Boston as they continue their quest for another historic World Cup run.
Canada started brightly and enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, forcing Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou into a number of important saves. Morocco also suffered an early setback when forward Ismael Saibari was forced off injured in the 22nd minute.
Despite the early pressure, Morocco returned from the break with renewed purpose and broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half. Achraf Hakimi picked out Ounahi, who calmly slotted the ball beyond Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau to give the North Africans the lead.
Ounahi doubled Morocco’s advantage in the 82nd minute, finishing off a swift counter-attack after being played through by Brahim Diaz to put the result beyond doubt.
As Canada pushed forward in search of a lifeline, Morocco struck again deep into stoppage time. Rahimi completed another rapid counter-attack, firing home to wrap up an emphatic victory.
The result keeps alive Morocco’s dream of reaching consecutive World Cup semi-finals after their historic run in Qatar in 2022. The Atlas Lions will now turn their attention to a quarter-final showdown against either France or Paraguay, with a potential opportunity to avenge their 2022 semi-final defeat should France progress.
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