Canada became the first of the co-hosts to exit the 2026 World Cup after Morocco secured a 3-0 victory in Houston, advancing to the quarter-finals. The match saw midfielder Azzedine Ounahi score twice, opening the scoring at 50 minutes and adding a second goal at 82 minutes. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi sealed the win with a goal in stoppage time.

Canada started strong, with Tani Oluwaseyi forcing a save from Morocco's Montreal-born goalkeeper Yassine Bounou early in the game. However, Morocco overcame an injury setback when Bayern Munich-bound Ismael Saibari was replaced by Rahimi after 20 minutes.

Morocco, semi-finalists in 2022, will face either France or Paraguay in the next round as the tournament progresses in North America.

Meanwhile, Cape Verde's historic World Cup journey ended without a win, but the African team's debut was notable for pushing powerhouse Argentina to the brink, marking an unforgettable appearance on the global stage.

Sources