'First Host Nation to Fall': Canada Crushed 0-3 in Round of 16... Morocco Makes History as First African Team to Reach Quarterfinals

*This content was translated by AI.

Morocco, Africa's dark horse, defeated host nation Canada and rewrote African football history. Meanwhile, Canada became the first host nation to be eliminated, packing its bags earliest in a tournament held on home soil.

On the 5th (Korea time), Morocco dominated Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16 at Houston Stadium in Texas, USA, during the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup. With this victory, Morocco achieved back-to-back quarterfinal appearances following their 2022 Qatar World Cup semi-final run, becoming the first African nation in history to reach the quarterfinals in consecutive World Cups.

Morocco poured three goals into Canada's net on this day, raising their tournament goal tally to eight and breaking the record for most goals scored by an African team in a single World Cup.

Individual player records also fell. Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) set a new all-time record for most appearances by an African player with 15 World Cup matches played. Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid) added two assists on this day, setting the record for most assists by an African player in a single World Cup (four). Azzedine Ounahi (Girona), who scored both the opening and second goals in the second half, became the first African player to score multiple goals in a World Cup knockout stage since Senegal's Henri Camara in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup — a span of 24 years.

As co-hosts, Canada was blocked by Morocco's formidable defense and became the first of the three North American host nations to be eliminated. Although they set milestones including their first points, first win, and first qualification for the knockout stage in Canadian World Cup history, their historic run ended at the first hurdle of the tournament.

Canada initially seized control, buoyed by one-sided support from home fans. They pressed Morocco hard in the first half with 10 shots to Morocco's five and 11 corner kicks to Morocco's one, but ultimately faltered due to a lack of finishing power. The match ended scoreless at halftime.

In the second half, Morocco's sharp counterattacks and organized play shone. In the fifth minute of the second half, Ounahi struck with a precise mid-range shot to break the deadlock and open the scoring.

After losing control, Canada attempted a counterattack, but Morocco's defense held firm. Instead, in the 37th minute of the second half, Ounahi calmly completed his brace, completely crushing Canada's hopes of a comeback. Then, eight minutes into stoppage time, Lahmidi scored a third goal on a counterattack to seal a decisive three-goal victory.

However, even after their commanding win, Morocco could not smile completely. In a brutal match filled with eight yellow cards, starting striker Ismaila Sarr (Bayern Munich) was substituted off in tears after suffering a right thigh injury during a defensive duel in the second half. Sarr, who had scored in all three group stage matches of this tournament and shown peak form, is expected to be a critical blow for Morocco ahead of their quarterfinal clash.

Morocco's next opponent in the quarterfinals will be France, the tournament favorite that defeated Paraguay 1-0. The clash between Morocco and France is scheduled for 5:00 AM on the 10th at Boston Stadium in the United States.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.