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Morocco beat Canada 3-0 to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Canada became the first of the co-hosts to exit the World Cup as a clinical Morocco won 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals on Saturday in Houston. The 2022 semi-finalists Morocco will face title favourites France or Paraguay as the business end of the tournament in North America approaches.

Reuters SPORTS
Published July 04,2026
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Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco beat Canada 3-0 in the World Cup last 16 ⁠on Saturday, ending ⁠the record run of the co-hosts in the tournament and advancing to the quarter-finals ⁠for a second time in a row.

Morocco took the lead on 50 minutes from a well-worked free-kick routine as Achraf Hakimi played a low pass from the right-hand side to Ounahi, who side-footed into ⁠the bottom ⁠corner of the net from 25 yards.

Ounahi added a second on 82 minutes when a four-on-two break led to Brahim Diaz teeing the midfielder up to fire into the ⁠top corner.

Morocco added a late third via another lightning break as substitute Soufiane Rahimi crowned a convincing performance.

Morocco lost striker Ismael Saibari, who has three ⁠goals ‌in ‌the tournament, to a ⁠hamstring injury in ‌the first half.

Morocco will face the winners of ⁠Saturday's round of 16 ⁠clash between Paraguay and France ⁠in the quarter-finals on July 9.