Morocco became the first team to book a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Canada 3-0 in their Round of 16 encounter in Houston on Saturday.

The Atlas Lions produced a dominant second-half display to end Canada’s historic World Cup campaign, with midfielder Azzedine Ounahi delivering a standout performance by scoring twice.

Canada made an impressive start to the contest, creating several early chances as they looked to build on their remarkable run to the knockout stage. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou produced a series of crucial saves to deny the co-hosts and ensure the teams went into the interval level.

Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart when Ounahi fired home from the edge of the penalty area following a well-worked set-piece move.

The North Africans continued to dictate proceedings and doubled their advantage in the 82nd minute. Ounahi completed his brace with a composed close-range finish after being expertly set up by Brahim Díaz as Canada committed more players forward in search of an equaliser.

Substitute Soufiane Rahimi added further gloss to the scoreline deep into stoppage time, finishing off a swift counterattack to seal an emphatic 3-0 victory.

The win sends Morocco into the World Cup quarterfinals for only the second time in the nation’s history, making the Atlas Lions the first African country to reach the tournament’s last eight on two occasions.

For Canada, the defeat brings to an end a memorable campaign that saw the co-hosts record their best-ever performance at a FIFA World Cup, reaching the knockout stage for the first time before bowing out against a clinical Moroccan side.