Morocco and France defeated Canada and Paraguay this July 4, respectively, to advance to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinalsas happened four years ago, when both teams faced each other in the Qatar 2022 semi-finals and the Gauls prevailed over the Moroccans.
The selection of Morocco imposed authority and thrashed host Canada with two goals from Azzedine Ounahi and one from Soufiane Rahimi, in the second half, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup.
A goal from Ounahi, after a laboratory play, unbalanced the match against Canada, in their first participation in a round of 16 of a World Cup.
Morocco, which gave the surprise in Qatar 2022 When he reached the semifinals, he learned from that experience and won like a great.
The Moroccan team suffered in the round of 32 against the Netherlands and triumphed in a heart-stopping penalty shootout. Against Canada they also suffered before the break after losing Ismael Saibari to injury.
“It is going to be the most complicated match of our World Cup, and I am rarely wrong,” Mohamed Ouahbi had warned in the previous press conference.
“I believe that we have been growing in recent years as a country, football-wise, and this excites you. It excites our entire continent, and I think that Morocco is showing that beautiful things can be done in the World Cup,” said Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou after qualifying for the quarterfinals.
For his part, Morocco’s coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, stated that his team “It’s no longer a surprise”.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult game, because (Canada) plays with a lot of intensity. During the hydration break and at half-time we made corrections, We had much more control, we were able to play behind him and it worked for us,” he added.
Meanwhile, the French team, led by Kylian Mbappé, demonstrated its talent and beat Paraguay, a favorite for some fans after eliminate the four-time champion Germany on penalties.
Until the break, France and Paraguay did not hurt each other. However, in the 70th minute, Mbappé scored a penalty goalafter a VAR review, and equaled the mark of Argentine star Lionel Messi as the top scorer of the tournament and in the history of the World Cup.
France exposed its superiority by maintaining 76% of ball possession, although the match was not defined by a direct shot on goal. The South Americans only had one shot on goal, compared to five for the French.
The quarterfinal bracket will be played on July 9 to define the semifinalist of the 2026 World Cup.