Morocco thump Canada 3-0 to reach historic World Cup quarter-finals

Morocco's players celebrated with their supporters after securing a historic place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16 on July 5 (local time).

The celebrations began moments after the final whistle, with teammates and coaching staff lifting Player of the Match Azzedine Ounahi onto their shoulders following his match-winning brace. The squad then walked towards the travelling Moroccan fans, applauding them in unison in appreciation of their support. The supporters responded by joining in the celebration, creating a memorable post-match scene.

The Morocco national team's official X account shared a video of the celebrations, captioning it: "Celebrating with our fans after reaching the quarter-finals."

Forward Brahim Diaz also posted on X after the victory, writing: "Together we are enormous. One more step toward the quarter-finals."

The result made Morocco the first team to secure a place in the World Cup quarter-finals and extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches.

After weathering sustained Canadian pressure in the opening half, Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart. Achraf Hakimi's well-worked free-kick picked out an unmarked Ounahi, who finished calmly to give his side the lead.

Canada pushed for an equaliser, with Jonathan David failing to capitalise on a dangerous free-kick before substitute Tajon Buchanan tested goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a powerful long-range effort.

As Canada committed players forward, Morocco punished them on the counterattack. Brahim Diaz surged down the right flank before setting up Ounahi, who blasted home his second goal of the match to effectively seal the contest.

Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal with virtually the last kick of the game, completing an emphatic second-half display by Mohamed Ouahbi's side.

The victory also strengthened Morocco's impressive knockout record, with seven wins from their last nine matches in the knockout stages of major international tournaments.

Canada, meanwhile, bowed out after an encouraging campaign that saw the co-hosts reach the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history.