Morocco are unbeaten in 34 matches – a run that now includes a 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada in the World Cup last-16. But this victory in Houston was no footballing masterclass. It was ugly, physical, and statistically bizarre.
Morocco won despite managing only five efforts on goal – the fewest by a team winning a World Cup knockout match on record. The first half was the first in World Cup history to feature more yellow cards than shots. Canada, spurred by a raucous home crowd, had two early chances: Moroccan goalkeeper Bono saved from Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi. For the first 15 minutes, Morocco did not even have a touch in the opposition box – the second successive match in which that happened.
“Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals with an ugly 3-0 win over Canada, extending their unbeaten run to 34 matches.”
“They were bending a little bit but they didn’t break,” Canada manager Jesse Marsch said afterwards.
Once Morocco settled, they took control. Captain Achraf Hakimi, arguably the world’s best right-back, was a constant menace both on the ball and in the faces of Canadian players. Brahim Diaz, the creative fulcrum, claimed two assists – taking his tally to four in World Cups, the most of any African player. And Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to dash the co-hosts’ dream.
Canada’s injured star Alphonso Davies watched helplessly from the bench. Morocco neutralised Stephen Eustaquio’s dangerous passing and squeezed striker Jonathan David out of the game.
Morocco’s four World Cup knockout wins now equal the combined total of Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana and Egypt. Their last defeat came in August 2025 – a 1-0 loss to Kenya in the African Nations Championship, a tournament for domestic-based players. The unbeaten record includes the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, a win awarded retroactively and still being challenged in court. But impressive it remains.
“The first half was very intense,” Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi said. “There were a few adjustments to be made at half-time. We were never safe from pressure. What matters is we didn’t change our identity, we didn’t change our game philosophy. There were lots of ideas being thrown around and we took the best one. We are playing the World Cup which means there will be difficult…”
This was not pretty. But as the cliché goes, the mark of a great team is knowing how to win ugly. And now Morocco must be regarded as a genuine contender to lift the trophy.