Morocco reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the second tournament in a row, defeating co-hosts Canada 3-0 on July 4 at NRG Stadium in Houston. The match swung after the break, as the North African team punished Canada’s wastefulness to book a high-profile quarterfinal meeting with France on July 9 and extend their impressive recent record on the global stage.
Canada opened aggressively, pressing high and creating early pressure on Morocco’s back line. The co-hosts, missing injured attacker Alphonso Davies, struggled to turn that momentum into goals despite the backing of a strong home crowd. Morocco rode out that spell and went into halftime level, having contained the initial surge and limited clear chances against them.
The game changed in the second half. Azzedine Ounahi struck first with a precise finish that quieted the pro-Canada stands and shifted control firmly toward Morocco. He doubled the lead with a composed second goal, placing his team in command. Soufiane Rahimi added a third late on to seal a comprehensive win. Morocco now move on to a quarterfinal that recalls their historic 2022 semifinal run, while Canada leave the tournament having reached the knockout stage and claimed the program’s first World Cup victory.
