Why Morocco’s win against Canada in 2026 FIFA WC Last 16 is significant
Morocco Sunday July 05, 2026 crushed 2026 FIFA World Cup host Canada 3-0 to reach the Football World Cup Quarter Final
2026 FIFA World Cup: Morocco Sunday July 05, 2026 crushed 2026 FIFA World Cup host Canada 3-0 to reach the Football World Cup Quarter Final.
The victory is significant for Morocco as this is the Atlas Lions’ consecutive second appearance in the Football World Cup last 8.
Morocco had surprised football fans in the last World Cup held in Qatar when it advanced to the 2022 FIFA World Cup Semifinals. Its fairytale journey last time was ended by France. A year later the Atlas Lions advanced to the Final of Africa Cup 2025 and thrilled the fans back home.
Morocco's 2022 World Cup Journey was stopped by France in Semi Finals. Interestingly, the two sides are meeting again, and this time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Quarter Finals.
Morocco versus France FIFA World Cup Quarter Final will be played in Boston on July 09, 2026. Football fans are eaegrly waiting for the clash as both the teams, especially France led by its legendary captain Kylian Mbappe, are in excellent form.
France vs Morocco 2026 Football World Cup last 08 clash has also provided the Atlas Lions a chance to revenge its defeat against the French in the Qatar World Cup. However, France has kept its eyes on the 3rd Football World Cup. The French had a clear chance of lifting the cup in the 2022, but the final decided by penalty shootout had gone in favour of Argentina.
Morocco vs Canada Highlights
Canada had the better of the first half, starting with impressive energy and intensity, pressing high and forcing several corners. It was no surprise they created the first significant chance when, capitalising on a loose ball out of Morocco’s defence, Ali Ahmed fed Tani Oluwaseyi and he span superbly away from Redouane Halhal to put himself clean through on goal. He shot low but Yassine Bounou, Morocco's Canada-born goalkeeper, saved with his left foot.
Mohamed Ouahbi’s team could not find their rhythm and their discomfort grew with the departure after 22 minutes of Ismael Saibari, their leading scorer in this tournament, with an apparent muscle injury, Rahimi taking his place.
In Saibari's absence, midfielder Ounahi stepped up to make the difference, opening the scoring soon after the restart through a well-worked dead-ball routine. From the right, Achraf Hakimi played the ball across the face of the box where, from the D, Ounahi swept a terrific first-time shot past the diving Maxime Crepeau and inside the left post.
Morocco had won all seven matches in which Ounahi had scored previously and history was repeated here as the Atlas Lions raised their game in the Second Half. Although Tajon Buchanan tested Bounou with a low drive, Ounahi made sure of Morocco's success by burying a shot high into the roof of the net from Brahim Diaz's lay-off following a counter-attack. His first-ever World Cup goals were the first brace by an African player in the knockout rounds since Senegal's Henri Camara scored twice against Sweden in 2002. Rahimi headed against the crossbar but wouldn't be denied a goal of his own, latching on to a Diaz through ball and finishing smartly to amplify the scoreline in added time.
With this victory, Morocco has made it to back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals, becoming the first African nation to grace the last eight more than once.
“We are very happy. It’s a World Cup match and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives. We reacted very well in the second half in the second balls and the duels. I have to recognise that Canada were impressive – they played a top match. It was no surprise for us but in the second half we were able to profit from the space they left us – that was the key”, Mohamed Ouahbi, Morocco coach, said in the post-match interview.
[With FIFA inputs.]
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