Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi expressed immense pride after his side defeated co-hosts Canada 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, becoming the first team to advance to the quarter-finals. Hakimi posted on X: "The strength of a team. The strength of a nation. Back in the QFs. DIMA MAGHRIB!"
Hakimi's key role in the victory
Hakimi played a pivotal role in the triumph, providing the assist for the opening goal with a clever free-kick that found Azzedine Ounahi early in the second half. This assist was Hakimi's third in World Cup history, making him only the fourth defender since 1966 to register three or more assists at the tournament, alongside Daley Blind, Denzel Dumfries, and Cafu.
First-half struggle and crucial save
Morocco endured a difficult first half as Canada, playing in front of their home fans, started brightly. Jesse Marsch's side created the first clear chance when Tani Oluwaseyi broke through on goal, but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made an outstanding save to keep the score level. Alistair Johnston also threatened with a header that was blocked by the Moroccan defence.
Second-half breakthrough
The deadlock was broken five minutes into the second half when Hakimi's intelligent free-kick found Ounahi in space on the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder kept his composure to sweep the ball into the bottom corner, giving Morocco the lead. Canada pushed for an equaliser, with Jonathan David firing a dangerous free-kick over the crossbar and substitute Tajon Buchanan forcing another fine save from Bounou with a powerful long-range strike.
Morocco capitalises on Canada's commitment
As Canada committed numbers forward, Morocco exploited the spaces left behind. Brahim Diaz drove down the right flank before cutting the ball back for Ounahi, who blasted home his second goal of the evening to effectively seal Morocco's place in the last eight. Soufiane Rahimi completed the scoring with virtually the final kick of the match, capping a superb second-half performance from Mohamed Ouahbi's side.
Morocco's impressive record
The victory extended Morocco's unbeaten run to 10 matches and marked their seventh win in the last nine knockout fixtures across major international tournaments. Canada's campaign ended despite making history by reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
