Morocco sent Canada home and booked a quarter-final clash against France after a commanding 3-0 victory in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup in Houston on Saturday.
An Azzedine Ounahi brace and a late stoppage-time strike from Souffiane Rahimi, who calmly beat goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, sealed the emphatic win and condemned Canada to elimination. Morocco will now face France in the quarter-finals on Thursday, July 9, at Boston Stadium in Foxborough.
Mohammed Ouahbi's tactical masterclass ensured that Canada became the first co-host nation to exit the tournament, suffering a difficult defeat away from their Vancouver base.
"There was one team on the pitch. We were better than the number seven team in the world today," Canada manager Jesse Marsch said after the match.
"We want to thank you for making us dream. Before, we never believed we'd ever make it this far, so we just want to say thank you," he added.
Canada, who at times played like rookies, clearly remain a work in progress as they struggled to cope with Morocco’s physical and composed approach. The tense encounter saw English referee Michael Oliver issue eight yellow cards, with each side receiving four.
Morocco are now one win away from equalling their historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, their toughest test yet awaits against two-time world champions France, who edged Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday in Philadelphia thanks to a 70th-minute penalty from Kylian Mbappe.
Ouahbi’s side also faced a difficult path through Group C, drawing 1-1 with five-time world champions Brazil before defeating Scotland and Haiti to finish strongly and advance to the knockout stage, where they eliminated 2010 finalists the Netherlands.
France, meanwhile, boast an abundance of attacking talent led by superstar captain Kylian Mbappe, current Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele, and midfield creator Michael Olise. Didier Deschamps’ squad also includes exciting young talents Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola, alongside Manchester City's Rayan Cherki and Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, giving Les Bleus one of the strongest squads in the tournament.
Deschamps, who captained France to World Cup glory in 1998 before winning the trophy again as coach in 2018 in Russia, is reportedly set to leave the national team after the tournament. Former teammate Zinedine Zidane has already been heavily linked as his successor.
For Morocco, the team carries the hopes of millions across Africa. A victory for the Atlas Lions would represent another historic achievement for African football. However, the July 9 clash in Boston promises to be a fierce battle, one that will test both teams mentally and physically.
Last time in Qatar, four years ago, Les Bleus eliminated Morocco in the semi-finals by beating them 2-0; this now presents a perfect opportunity to avenge that loss four years ago.