The first knockout match left the first organizer of the 2026 World Cup. In a game that went from less to more, Morocco asserted its status as a contender and defeated Canada 3-0 to advance to the quarter-finals,
The start of the match was marked by a dominance of possession by the Moroccans and by the constant attacks generated by the Canadians. Among these, the main chance would come at 10, with a shot from Tani Oluwaseyi that would make Yassine Bonnou shine.
Despite this warning from the hosts, the tone of the match would remain unchanged for the rest of the first half: the players coached by Mohamed Ouahbi, who would suffer the early injury of their scorer Ismael Saibari, managed possession without real danger up front, while Jesse Marsch's team took advantage of their opportunities to unsettle their rival, although not enough to tilt the score in their favor. The only notable addition would be the constant fouls that resulted in a stopped game and a total of 6 yellow cards before halftime (4 for Morocco and 2 for Canada).
In the second half, the Africans would finally wake up from their long slumber at 49, precisely due to a booking foul by Luc De Fougerolles on Soufiane Rahimi on the right wing. From the resulting free kick, Achraf Hakimi would execute the planned play and, instead of crossing into the area, would assist back to Azzedine Ounahi, who first-time sent the ball to the bottom right corner of the goal to make it 1-0.
