By KRISTIE RIEKENSunday July 5, 2026
Morocco is charging into another World Cup quarterfinal, and coach Mohamed Ouahbi says the Atlas Lions have moved beyond underdog status and into soccer’s top tier.
Azzedine Ounahi struck twice Saturday as Morocco beat Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16, becoming the first African country to reach the World Cup quarterfinals more than once.
“We are no longer a surprise,” Ouahbi said through an interpreter. “Now when people talk about Morocco we’re a major contender and it’s a great source of pride. I think it’s only the beginning and I hope we continue to have runs like this.”
Even with another piece of World Cup history secured, Morocco is not treating the quarterfinals as the finish line.
“We want to keep going,” Ouahbi said. “We don’t want to stop.”
The result sends Morocco to the final eight for a second consecutive World Cup, four years after it became the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022.
“We are so proud to represent Africa because it’s a continent with a lot of talent and Africa deserves to be in the best level in football,” goalkeeper Yassine Bounou said.
The match stayed scoreless until the 50th minute, when Ounahi collected a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and drove a right-footed shot through a crowd from outside the box into the bottom right corner for a 1-0 Morocco lead.
Ounahi doubled the advantage in the 82nd minute, finishing with his right foot from the center of the box after a pass from Brahim Díaz.
Soufiane Rahimi closed it out with a goal in the final minute of stoppage time.
Morocco will face France, which defeated Paraguay later Saturday, on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
For Canada, the defeat brought an end to a landmark World Cup run. The co-hosts had won their first knockout-round match, defeating South Africa 1-0 to advance to Saturday’s game. Playing in the World Cup for only the third time, Canada captured the attention of a country more commonly consumed by hockey than by soccer.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch said he delivered a direct message to his players after the final whistle.
“I told them that I was proud of them and I challenged them to understand that we can play like this all the time against the best teams in the world,” he said. “We can be better on the day. And then the challenge is, can we hold that standard for 90 minutes?”
Morocco, ranked No. 7 by FIFA entering the tournament, reached the Round of 16 by eliminating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, handing the Dutch their earliest World Cup exit.
Marsch praised Canada’s showing against such a highly regarded opponent, saying his side dictated large stretches of the game.
“The way we pushed, the way we were in the match, the quality we showed, the overall impact in the match, we were better,” he said. “We were better than the No. 7 team in the world today.”
Ouahbi did not let that assessment pass without a pointed reply.
“In terms of intensity they were good,” he said. “They were good for 98 minutes. Were they better? It’s hard to say. It takes some nerve to say that when you lose 3-nil.”
Canada threatened late. Jonathan David lined up a free kick from outside the box in the 78th minute, but his attempt went over the crossbar.
Moments later, Tajon Buchanan unloaded from about 30 yards, only for Bounou to dive and turn it away. Bounou, born in Canada to Moroccan parents, finished with three saves.
Back in Morocco, the victory ignited a massive celebration.
In Casablanca, the country’s largest city, thousands spilled into the streets within minutes. Car horns blared as fans climbed onto vehicle roofs, waved flags and sang in celebration.
Along Corniche Boulevard, one of Casablanca’s main thoroughfares, traffic came to a standstill while Atlas Lions supporters danced, lit fireworks and waved flares. Other major boulevards across the city were also packed with jubilant crowds.
Canada advanced to the Round of 16 despite being without star Alphonso Davies for most of the tournament because of a hamstring injury. The Bayern Munich player appeared for only 15 minutes as a substitute in the win over South Africa and was unavailable Saturday.
“His hamstring didn’t feel right,” Marsch said. “We were hoping that by the time he woke up this morning that he would feel better, but he didn’t.”
The matchup was a repeat of the previous World Cup, when Morocco defeated Canada 2-1 in the group stage before going on to finish fourth.
Saturday’s game was intensely physical, with eight yellow cards shown. Each team received four.
Hakimi and Canada’s Richie Laryea were both booked in the 40th minute after Hakimi shoved Laryea to the ground, Laryea responded with a push and a brief confrontation followed.
Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari exited with an injury in the 22nd minute.
___
Associated Press writer Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco, contributed to this report.
