Morocco's Soufiane Rahimi celebrates with Achraf Hakimi after scoring his team's third goal in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match against Canada at Houston Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday. [Reuters]
Morocco's Soufiane Rahimi celebrates with Achraf Hakimi after scoring his team's third goal in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match against Canada at Houston Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday. [Reuters]

Morocco crushed host nation Canada to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in the round of 16 at Houston Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, with Azedine Ounahi scoring twice and Soufiane Rahimi adding a third to seal the victory.

Having reached the semifinals at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals again, becoming the first African side to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in consecutive tournaments. The team also raised its total goals in the tournament to eight, breaking the record for the most goals scored by an African team in a single World Cup.

Key fullback Achraf Hakimi extended his record for the most World Cup appearances by an African player to 15, while Brahim Diaz added two assists to set a new record for the most assists by an African player in a single World Cup, with four.

Ounahi became the first African player to score multiple goals in a World Cup knockout match in 24 years, since Senegal's Henri Camara at the 2002 Korea-Japan tournament.

Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half when Hakimi cut the ball back low from a free kick and Ounahi drove it into the corner of the net with his right foot from outside the penalty area.

Ounahi struck again with his right foot in the 82nd minute, finishing off a pass from Diaz to make it 2-0. Rahimi then completed the 3-0 win with a low left-footed shot on the counter-attack in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Canada became the first of the three host nations to be eliminated, but the team reached several significant milestones — its first World Cup points, first win, first group-stage advancement and first knockout-round victory.

Morocco will face title contender France in the quarterfinals at Boston Stadium in Boston at 5 a.m. on July 10.


yjc@heraldcorp.com