Round of 16 Opens — Morocco Rout Hosts Canada 3-0 to Become the First African Side to Reach Back-to-Back Quarterfinals

The Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup kicked off on July 4, and the opening day belonged to Morocco. In Houston, the Atlas Lions swept aside co-hosts Canada 3-0 behind a brace from Azzedine Ounahi. After a quiet first half, Ounahi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute, taking a free kick fed by Achraf Hakimi and drilling a right-footed strike from outside the box into the bottom corner. He added the second in the 82nd on a counterattack from Brahim Díaz's pass, and substitute Rahimi capped it in stoppage time — again from a Díaz assist, his fourth at World Cups, a new record for an African player.

The win sends Morocco to a second consecutive quarterfinal after their historic 2022 semifinal run — the first time any African nation has reached the last eight twice. Having knocked out the Netherlands on penalties in the Round of 32, they have now dispatched a host nation without conceding, proving 2022 was no accident. For Canada, it was a bittersweet ending: a fairytale campaign that included a first-ever knockout win came to a halt in the last 16, making them the first of the three co-hosts to exit.

The same day in Philadelphia, France beat Paraguay 1-0 to join Morocco in the quarterfinals. Paraguay, who had stunned four-time champions Germany on penalties in the Round of 32, finally ran out of road. France, perfect through the group stage, are yet to concede in the knockouts and continue to look every bit a title favourite.

The Round of 16 is only getting started: Brazil vs Norway (Haaland against the five-time champions) on July 5, Mexico vs England and the Iberian derby Portugal vs Spain on July 6, then USA vs Belgium, Switzerland vs Colombia, and Messi against Salah in Argentina vs Egypt on July 7. Follow every bracket update live on our bracket page (/bracket).