Morocco Make History Again: Atlas Lions Crush Hosts Canada 3-0 To Reach World Cup Quarterfinals
Ounahi brace and Hakimi record power Morocco into last eight
Morocco continued their fairytale run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they defeated tournament hosts Canada 3-0 to book a place in the quarterfinals.
The Atlas Lions broke the deadlock in the 50th minute when Achraf Hakimi delivered a perfect free-kick at the edge of the penalty area and Azzedine Ounahi slotted the ball into the back of net to put Morocco ahead.
Morocco then caught Canada on the break in the 83rd minute as Ounahi completed his brace, slamming in a powerful strike after being set up by Brahim Diaz. Soufiane Rahimi sealed the victory deep into stoppage time in the 97th minute, with Diaz again providing the assist.
The result makes Morocco the first African team in history to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals, following their run to the last eight in Qatar 2022.
Ounahi’s brace etched his name into Moroccan folklore. He became only the third Moroccan ever to score a brace at the World Cup, and the first to do it in a knockout match.
1️⃣ 🇲🇦 Khairi — 1986, group stage
2️⃣ 🇲🇦 Bassir — 1998, group stage
🆕 🇲🇦 OUNAHI — 2026, round of 16
The Girona midfielder also became the first ever Girona FC player to score at a World Cup.
The 30-year-old Rahimi is also making every minute count — he now has 2 goals and 1 assist from just 122 minutes played in the tournament.
Brahim Diaz was the architect behind Morocco’s attack. His two assists against Canada took him to four assists at the 2026 World Cup. For Diaz, it’s creativity meeting end product at the perfect time.
There were records tumbling at the back too. Captain Achraf Hakimi played his 15th World Cup match, becoming the African player with the most appearances in World Cup history. He moves past Ounahi on 12, and a group of legends on 11 including Asamoah Gyan, Roger Milla’s teammate Omam-Biyik, Yassine Bounou and Ismaïla Sarr. Hakimi also joined an elite club by assisting against Canada in back-to-back World Cups, 2022 and 2026 — a feat only shared by names like Baltazar, Schnellinger, Lato, Thomas Müller and Dušan Tadić.
In goal, Yassine “Bono” Bounou made history of his own. Facing his country of birth Canada, Bono became the first goalkeeper ever to face his birth nation at two different World Cups, having also done so in 2022. He joins a rare list that includes Quiroga 1978, Hislop 2006, El Kajoui 2018 and Mendy 2026.
With goals, assists, records and history all in one night, Morocco were relentless. Hakimi provided the delivery, Ounahi the finishing, Diaz the vision, Rahimi the final touch, and Bono the assurance.
The Atlas Lions are no longer just giant-killers. They are now standard-setters for African football on the world stage. And with momentum like this, the dream isn’t over in the quarterfinals — it’s just getting started.