Morocco 3-0 Canada: Ounahi Brace Sends Atlas Lions Into Quarter-Finals

Canada's fairytale run had already produced a first-ever World Cup knockout win. It ended, comprehensively, against a Morocco side that is looking every bit like a semi-final contender.

Azzedine Ounahi scored twice and Soufiane Rahimi added a third as the Atlas Lions beat Canada 3-0 in Houston to reach the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals.

Match Summary

Morocco 3-0 Canada NRG Stadium, Houston | July 4, 2026 Round of 16

Goals:

• Azzedine Ounahi 50' (assist: Hakimi)
• Azzedine Ounahi 82' (assist: Brahim Díaz)
• Soufiane Rahimi 90+8'

How It Happened

This was billed as the tie of the round — Morocco's momentum after eliminating the Netherlands on penalties against Canada's own history-making run, built on Stephen Eustáquio's dramatic 92nd-minute winner over South Africa. Instead, it turned into one of the most one-sided knockout performances of the tournament.

Ounahi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute, sweeping home from the edge of the box after Achraf Hakimi pulled the ball back to him from a well-worked free kick. He struck again in the 82nd, crashing a first-time effort high into the net after Brahim Díaz released him on the counter — a display underlining why he has become one of the tournament's standout midfielders, the same kind of driving, incisive performance that first announced him at the 2022 World Cup. Rahimi added gloss to the scoreline deep into stoppage time, sending the significant Moroccan support inside NRG Stadium into full celebration.

Canada, so resilient and physical in their win over South Africa, could not find a way past Morocco's defensive structure — the same discipline that has now carried the Atlas Lions past two knockout opponents without conceding from open play in either.

What This Means

Canada's World Cup ends with real credit — a first-ever knockout win, an entire nation newly invested in the team, and a platform for the next generation of Canadian football to build from. This tournament will be remembered as a genuine breakthrough for the program, even with the manner of the exit.

For Morocco, this is now their second consecutive World Cup reaching at least the quarter-finals — following the historic semi-final run in Qatar 2022. Walid Regragui's side have beaten the Netherlands and now thrashed Canada without conceding a goal from open play across the knockout rounds so far. This is not a team riding luck. This is a genuine contender.

Morocco's Path Continues: Quarter-Finals

Morocco's quarter-final opponent will be the winner of Paraguay vs France, being played July 4 in Philadelphia. The quarter-finals are scheduled for July 9-11.

Whoever awaits, Morocco will go in with the belief of a team that has now beaten one European heavyweight and dismantled an in-form host nation without conceding.

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