World Cup 2026 loses its first host: Morocco crushes Canada and becomes the first quarterfinal participant
The Moroccan national soccer team became the first official participant in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, securing a confident victory over the Canadian team in the opening playoff match.
The match, held at NRG Stadium in Houston (USA), ended with a rout of the North American team by a score of 3:0. Despite their status as co-hosts of the world championship, the Canadians were unable to contain the attacking onslaught of the Moroccans in the second half of the match.
The first half was marked by a tough struggle and was remembered for a forced substitution in the Moroccan squad — on the 22nd minute, forward Ismael Saibari left the field due to an injury. The score in the match was opened immediately after the break: on the 49th minute, Azzedine Ounahi brought the African team ahead. On the 81st minute, Ounahi scored a double, strengthening his team's advantage, and the final point in the confrontation was set on the 90+7th minute by Soufiane Rahimi. The game was marked by an abundance of violations — yellow cards in the winners' squad were received by Khalhal, Hakimi, Ounahi and El Hannous, and the Canadians were cautioned Larea, David, De Fougerolles and Larin. Thanks to this success, Morocco continues the fight for the title, and Canada is the first of the host countries to end its performance at the home World Cup.
