Morocco booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in Houston, ending the Canadians' memorable tournament and making them the first host nation to be eliminated.
After a tense and physical first half, Morocco found their breakthrough five minutes after the restart.
Achraf Hakimi's cleverly worked free-kick found Azzedine Ounahi on the edge of the area, and the midfielder calmly fired into the net as Canada's defence failed to close him down.
Ounahi struck again with eight minutes remaining, finishing off a swift counter-attack to put the result beyond doubt before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a third deep into stoppage time, sliding his finish beneath goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.
The scoreline was harsh on Canada, who dominated the opening stages and created the better chances early on.
Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi were both denied in one-on-one situations by Morocco goalkeeper Bono during a lively opening spell.
Canada manager Jesse Marsch praised his team's performance despite the defeat.
"There was one team on the pitch," he said.
"We were better than the number seven team in the world today."
However, Morocco weathered the early pressure before growing into the contest and advancing to within one victory of matching their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup.
The match was fiercely contested, with English referee Michael Oliver producing eight yellow cards as tempers frequently threatened to boil over.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and Canada defender Richie Laryea were both cautioned following a heated confrontation late in the first half.
Rahimi nearly added another goal when his looping header struck the crossbar before finally finding the net with the final kick of the game.
Despite the disappointment, Canada leave the tournament with plenty to celebrate.
They recorded the country's first-ever World Cup point, victory, progression from the group stage and knockout-round win, marking their finest men's World Cup campaign.
One Canadian journalist summed up the nation's feelings by thanking Marsch during the post-match press conference.
"You made us dream," the journalist said, acknowledging how far the national team had come.
Canada's energetic pressing and aggressive approach unsettled Morocco for long periods, but they lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.
Juventus striker Jonathan David struggled to make an impact once again, while captain Alphonso Davies remained an unused substitute as he continued to manage a lingering hamstring problem.
Marsch revealed Davies had undergone an MRI scan after training, which showed no structural damage, but the medical staff opted not to take any risks with their star player.
For Morocco, patience ultimately paid off.
Having entered the match as favourites following their dramatic penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in the previous round, the Atlas Lions initially looked short of rhythm after having one day less recovery than Canada.
But their defensive resilience once again proved decisive.
Although Canada recorded 30 touches inside Morocco's penalty area, they managed only three shots on target, with just one coming after the opening 11 minutes.
The victory also continued Morocco's dominance over Canada, extending their unbeaten record in the fixture to five matches and securing a second consecutive World Cup win against the North Americans after their group-stage success in Qatar four years earlier.
Morocco now move confidently into the quarter-finals, where another victory would equal the greatest achievement in the nation's World Cup history.
