Morocco advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals by defeating co-host Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16 on Saturday at Houston Stadium in Houston.
Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to lead the Atlas Lions past the Canadians, who were eliminated in the knockout stage despite a strong group performance as tournament co-hosts. The victory sends Morocco through while ending Canada’s historic home run.
Ounahi, the Moroccan midfielder, opened the scoring in the 50th minute with a finish from Achraf Hakimi’s free-kick assist. He added a second goal in the 82nd minute, assisted by B. Díaz on the counter-attack. Soufiane Rahimi, the Moroccan forward, sealed the result with a stoppage-time goal in the 90+8th minute, also assisted by B. Díaz. Canada dominated early but faded, while Morocco controlled the second half with clinical finishing after a scoreless first period.
Canada entered the match with four points from the group stage and a +5 goal difference as runners-up in their group. Morocco topped their group with seven points. The result marks Morocco’s progression to the last eight, building on their strong 2022 campaign, while Canada exits as the first co-host eliminated.
Morocco faces the winner of France versus Paraguay in the quarterfinals on July 10.