Morocco Stuns Canada 3-0 To Reach World Cup Quarterfinals
Morocco routed Canada 3-0 in the World Cup Round of 16 on July 5 in Houston, capitalizing on second-half opportunities after Canada squandered chances in the first half to advance to the quarterfinals.
Canada had the better opportunities in the opening 45 minutes but failed to convert, while Morocco capitalized ruthlessly after halftime to eliminate the co-hosts 3-0 in a World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match on July 5 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Canada, co-hosts and Group B runners-up who had edged South Africa 1-0 in the knockout round, faced Morocco—who advanced from their group by defeating the Netherlands 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes. The teams have a history: Morocco won a 2016 friendly 4-0 and defeated Canada 2-1 at the 2022 World Cup.
Canada manager Jesse Marsch deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Maxim Crepeau, Alistair Johnston, Luc de Fougerolles, Moises Bombito, Richie Laryea, Tajon Buchanan, Nico Sigur, Stephen Ustachio, Ali Ahmed, Jonathan David, and Tani Oluwaseyi in the starting XI.
Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi used a 4-2-3-1 setup featuring Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Redwan Halhal, Noussair Mazraoui, Ayoub Boulaid, Nayel El Aynaoui, Brahim Diaz, Azzedine Ounaahi, Bilal El Khannouss, and Ismail Saibari.
In the opening 20 minutes, Morocco controlled possession but Canada generated four shooting chances, with two on target. The first half ended goalless. Early in the second half at the 50-minute mark, Achraf Hakimi set up Azzedine Ounaahi for Morocco's opener. Ounaahi struck again in the 82nd minute to extend the lead to 2-0. In the 90+8th minute, Sofyan Rahimi sealed the victory with a third goal, giving Morocco a commanding 3-0 win.
Morocco advances to the quarterfinals and will face the winner of France versus Paraguay on July 10 at Gillette Stadium in Houston, Texas.
