Morocco beat co-host Canada 3-0 at Houston Stadium on Saturday 4 July, knocking the tournament's biggest host nation out of its own World Cup and booking the first confirmed quarter-final, against France on Thursday 9 July in Boston 1. All three co-hosts had cleared the round of 32 together for the first time in the tournament's history ; Canada is the first of them to fall.
Canada set the tempo through a goalless first half before Azzedine Ounahi struck on 50 and 82 minutes, the opener turned in from an Achraf Hakimi cutback. Brahim Diaz then released Soufiane Rahimi for a third in stoppage time. Canada had reached the last 16 by beating South Africa with a 92nd-minute goal ; their first knockout run ends one round later, in the country next door.
Morocco carry a warning into the last eight. They lost Ismael Saibari, their leading scorer this tournament, to a thigh injury inside the first half-hour, and his fitness for France is uncertain. Morocco reached the knockouts by eliminating the Netherlands on penalties , and now meet the France side that beat them in the 2022 semi-final.
