Morocco becomes first team to reach World Cup quarterfinals

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Moroccan national football team became the first quarterfinalist of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a commanding 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in their Round of 16 match held in Houston.

The victory for the Atlas Lions was propelled by a second-half brace from Azzedine Ounahi, who scored in the 50th and 82nd minutes, followed by a late stoppage-time goal from Soufiane Rahimi in the 98th minute to seal the result.

In the quarterfinals, Morocco will face the winner of the upcoming Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay. The match for a spot in the semifinals is scheduled to take place on July 9.

The fixture also produced an unusual statistical anomaly during the first half. The referee issued six yellow cards in the opening 45 minutes, while both teams combined for only five shots on goal. This marks the first time in World Cup history that the number of cautions in a single half exceeded the total number of shots.

Despite the exit, this tournament marked the most successful World Cup campaign in history for the Canadian national team. Meanwhile, Morocco, who finished fourth at the previous World Cup in Qatar, continues its pursuit of the global title.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will conclude with the final on July 19. The tournament's defending champion is Argentina.