Canada has become the first host nation to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup following a 3-0 defeat against Morocco in Houston. This loss ends Canada’s historic run, while Morocco advances to the quarter-finals to face either France or Paraguay.
The match at Houston Stadium saw a cautious first half defined by physical play and six yellow cards. Although Canada started stronger, forcing an early save from goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and controlling possession, they were unable to convert their chances. Morocco suffered an early setback when Ismael Saibari was forced off due to injury.
The momentum shifted decisively in the second half. Just five minutes after the restart, Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring with a precise strike from outside the penalty area. Despite Canada’s efforts to equalize, Ounahi doubled the lead in the 82nd minute following a swift counter-attack. Soufiane Rahimi added a final goal in the 98th minute to seal the result in front of 68,777 spectators.
