---
title: "Morocco Beat Canada to Reach a Second Straight World Cup Quarterfinal"
description: "Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco beat co-hosts Canada 3-0 in the round of 16 to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for a second tournament running. The result ended Canada's home campaign and confirmed Morocco, semifinalists in 2022, as one of the eight teams still standing."
category: "Sports"
category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/sports
author: "Marcus Reed"
published: 2026-07-04T19:20:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-04T19:20:00.000Z
canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/morocco-beat-canada-to-reach-a-second-straight-world-cup-quarterfinal
tags: ["world-cup", "morocco", "canada", "football", "azzedine-ounahi"]
---
# Morocco Beat Canada to Reach a Second Straight World Cup Quarterfinal

Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco beat co-hosts Canada 3-0 in the round of 16 to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for a second tournament running. The result ended Canada's home campaign and confirmed Morocco, semifinalists in 2022, as one of the eight teams still standing.

Morocco reached the World Cup quarterfinals again on July 4, beating co-hosts Canada 3-0 in the round of 16 at Houston Stadium. A second-half double from midfielder Azzedine Ounahi settled a match Canada had started brightly, sending the Atlas Lions into the last eight for a second consecutive tournament.

## A second half that turned the tie

Canada, playing at a World Cup on home soil, made the livelier start and pushed Morocco back for much of the first half without finding a breakthrough. The balance shifted after the interval. In the 50th minute Ounahi swept in the opener from a cutback by captain Achraf Hakimi, [ESPN reported](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49270266/morocco-defeat-co-hosts-canada-first-team-world-cup-quarterfinals-azzedine-ounahi-soufiane-rahimi).

With Canada committing players forward in search of an equalizer, Ounahi struck again in the 82nd minute to double the lead. Soufiane Rahimi added a third deep into stoppage time to complete a [3-0 win](https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/760502/morocco-canada) that flattered neither side by the finish.

## Building on 2022

For Morocco, the victory extends a remarkable recent World Cup record. In 2022 the team became the first from Africa and the Arab world to reach the semifinals, and this campaign has confirmed that run was no one-off. Anchored by players who feature for leading European clubs, Morocco again paired defensive organization with clinical finishing when the game opened up.

The Atlas Lions will next face the winner of the round-of-16 tie between France and Paraguay in the quarterfinals.

## The end of Canada's run

For Canada, the defeat closed a tournament that had already exceeded many expectations. Reaching the knockout rounds as hosts gave the team its deepest World Cup run, but it could not find a way past Morocco once the visitors took control. Canada became the first of the three co-hosts, alongside Mexico and the United States, to be knocked out at this stage, leaving its home tournament at the round of 16.

## Sources

- [Morocco defeat co-hosts Canada to reach World Cup quarterfinals](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49270266/morocco-defeat-co-hosts-canada-first-team-world-cup-quarterfinals-azzedine-ounahi-soufiane-rahimi)
- [Canada 0-3 Morocco: final score and match report](https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/760502/morocco-canada)