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Canada’s World Cup adventure was brought to an end by an Azzedine Ounahi-inspired Morocco in an entertaining last-16 clash.
Canada started the game at a thunderous pace and created numerous chances in the first half, but Ounahi later made them pay for failing to break the deadlock.
He opened the scoring when he finished off Achraf Hakimi’s well-worked free kick and struck again on the counter-attack late on. Soufiane Rahimi added insult to injury when he made it three in stoppage time.
Morocco, who have been growing in confidence, will next face either Paraguay or France for a place in the final four.
We have one more last 16 match to bring you today and it kicks off very shortly at the top of the hour.
France take on Paraguay in Philadelphia — the winner of that one will play Morocco in the quarter-final.
You can follow live updates on The Athletic from that tantalising round of 16 match here.
Stephen Eustaquio has been speaking to FOX after that result — here’s how he reflected on Canada's World Cup exit:
💬 “We felt always the love back home from Canadians.
“We are finally a soccer country. We will enter another cycle of four years and the youngsters need your support for the next four years.”
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi has spoken to FIFA's website after leading his side into the last eight.
💬 “We are very happy. It’s a World Cup match and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives. We reacted very well in the second half in the second balls and the duels.
"I have to recognise that Canada were impressive – they played a top match. It was no surprise for us but in the second half we were able to profit from the space they left us – that was the key.”
Missed today's match and want to get the lowdown on Canada's World Cup exit?
Need to know whether Morocco can win the whole thing?
Then good news — you can dive into the latest analysis from our writers on that match on the link below…
GO FURTHER
Canada’s dream World Cup ends with Morocco through but where was Alphonso Davies?
Only five shots from Morocco in that match, but three of them ended up in the back of the net.
Canada had twice as many shots as their opponents but never really looked like scoring.
Clinical finishing like that from the Moroccans will serve them very well as they progress.
It was an eventful day for Michael Oliver as he took charge of his sixth World Cup game, equalling the record for an Englishman set by both Arthur Ellis and Howard Webb.
The first half of this match was the first time in World Cup history there were more yellow cards (6) than shots (5) in the first 45 minutes of a game.
It was the joint most ever in the first 45 minutes of a World Cup knockout match along with Brazil vs Ghana in 2006.
The final tally of bookings was eight.
It is a random statistic that actually has nothing to do with Leeds United.
But fans of the Premier League club’s rivals will still be amused to learn that the last two teams to concede 15 or more fouls in the first half of a World Cup match have done so under managers who've also managed Leeds!
Canada under Jesse Marsch today (15) could not quite match Marcelo Bielsa's Chile in 2010 against Spain. They managed 16.
Even with Canada’s stirring World Cup that landed them further than some expected, there are still questions to ask about how their tournament unfolded. The most pressing one: what happened with their captain and star, Alphonso Davies?
Davies entered the World Cup with a hamstring injury. Canada’s World Cup ended with Davies making just one substitute appearance in five total games. Davies, thought to be the face of Canadian soccer before this World Cup, did not appear in Canada’s final game.
Why didn’t he play? Was Davies even fit enough to even play in this World Cup? If not, was it the right move to use a squad spot on him, considering the players that did not make the team?
Morocco won today despite having just five shots – the fewest by a team who won a World Cup knockout match on record since 1966, which suggests that the 3-0 scoreline was either a sign of ruthlessness, good fortune or a combination of both.
Canada were up against it as soon as they fell behind, especially considering they have failed to win any of their nine matches in World Cup history when they’ve gone behind, drawing one and losing the other eight.
Azzedine Ounahi is the first Morocco player to score twice in a World Cup match since Salaheddine Bassir in 1998 against Scotland.
If Ismael Saibari misses further games after being forced off today, his side will be grateful for goals from elsewhere and Ounahi looks like the most likely player to step u.
Azzedine Ounahi is the man who takes all the plaudits after that win for Morocco, but Brahim Diaz has just made World Cup history.
His two assists in the game added to the two he already had at this tournament and he has the most assists of any African player in World Cup history.
If Ismael Saibari cannot play any further part in Morocco's campaign, Brahim is going to have to play a big role if they want to continue progressing.
The final statistics tell a similar story.
Morocco had little advantage over the opponents in most areas of the game.
But they made ruthless use when opportunities fell their way.
The Canada head coach has been speaking to FOX after the match — here's what he had to say:
💬 “What a privilege our fans have had to cheer for a team like this.
“We have to be in these situations more and more and find ways to succeed and build from that. What a great team. I’d rather be us than them, regardless of how good Morocco is. I'm really proud of the guys, we went after the game. We’re hurting right now and I couldn’t be prouder.”
As the seventh-best team in the world according to FIFA’s rankings, Morocco have become undisputed as the best team in Africa.
They have now progressed from four FIFA World Cup knockout matches, two in 202 and two more in this tournament, which is as many as all other African nations combined (one each for Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, Ghana in 2010 and Egypt in 2026).
Morocco have become the first African nation ever to reach the quarter-finals of two World Cup tournaments.
What a World Cup for Canada!
They have shown great growth in this month of football and will be led again by Jesse Marsch with plenty of energy into tournaments in the future.
Azzedine Ounahi, who else?
The Girona midfielder produced two exquisite finishes to ensure Morocco progressed to the next round. The first goal came from a free kick, while the second rounded off a brilliant counter-attack. The only thing they had in common was the brilliance of the strikes that finished them off.
Ounahi was a key man in that run to the semi-finals in 2022 and he will need to be at his best if Ismael Saibari’s injury is as bad as it looked. On the evidence presented here, he will be more than capable of stepping up in the absence of Morocco’s talisman.
Our game rating: 6/10. This one promised much after an opening salvo in which Canada played like a team determined to upset the odds and prove they could go further than anyone anticipated.
Unfortunately for the hosts, they were unable to capitalise on that golden spell and Morocco improved as the game wore on. The goal at the start of the second half felt like a hammer blow and Canada rarely threatened thereafter, although there was a late rally before Ounahi settled it with his second and Rahimi finished the job.
Morocco showed all their savvy to wind down the clock and continue another impressive World Cup run following the heroics of 2022.
At the 2022 World Cup, Morocco defeated Canada 2-1 to close their group stage campaign on their way to a brilliant run to the semi-finals. Back then, their attack was charged by the likes of Hakim Ziyech on the wing and Youssef En-Nesyri’s phenomenal heading ability.
Four years later, and the Atlas Lions have a squad that’s stronger and deeper than ever before. This 3-0 victory over Canada was good, but also comes after a successful (depending on legal rulings) AFCON campaign and further development of Morocco’s youth teams.
There is no team stronger on the African continent. There is no nation better equipped to have a successful World Cup in 2030 (which Morocco will co-host with five other nations.
Pele once predicted an African side would win the World Cup before 2000. In 2026, Morocco has reached the quarter-final stages with confidence and control.
There was a certain inevitability about Morocco taking the lead after a first half in which they had barely managed to create an opening of any description.
The goal was brilliantly worked, with captain Achraf Hakimi laying the ball off for Azzedine Ounahi to almost pass into the net from the edge of the box. Canada threatened early in the first half, but it was Morocco who struck at the start of the second.
It seemed fitting that the opening goal should come from a set piece, given this was a game dominated by fouls from beginning to end.
Team Stats
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Game Details
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