Morocco sent one of the host nations home on the Fourth of July, beating Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16 to become the first team through to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, ESPN reported.
Ounahi decides it
The match turned in the second half. Azzedine Ounahi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute and struck again in the 82nd to put the result beyond doubt, according to ESPN. Soufiane Rahimi added a third deep into stoppage time, in the eighth minute of added time, to complete the scoreline, as Yahoo Sports noted.
The two goals from Ounahi, a midfielder better known for his passing than his finishing, capped a controlled Moroccan performance against a Canadian side that struggled to break through once it fell behind.
A host nation out
Canada came into this World Cup as one of three co-hosts, sharing the tournament with the United States and Mexico, and had given its supporters plenty to celebrate simply by reaching the knockout rounds. The defeat makes Canada the first of the three host nations to be eliminated.
For Morocco, the win extends a remarkable run on the world stage. The team reached the semifinals in 2022, when it became the first African side to advance that far at a World Cup. Reaching the last eight again means Morocco has now made the quarterfinals in back-to-back tournaments, a level of consistency few nations outside the traditional powers can match.
What comes next
Morocco will play the winner of Saturday's Round of 16 match between Paraguay and France, with the quarterfinal set for Thursday in Boston, ESPN reported. Either opponent would represent a step up in difficulty, with France among the pre-tournament favorites.
Whoever Morocco draws, the team has again arrived at the business end of a World Cup playing with the belief that carried it to the brink of a final four years ago. On a day when the tournament's host nations hoped to shine, it was Morocco that looked most at home.
