Morocco beat Canada 3–0 to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Morocco roll past Canada 3–0 into the quarters

Morocco are through to the World Cup quarter-finals. A comfortable 3–0 win over Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday, and Brahim Díaz ran the show with two assists (1) (2). Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi got the goals, with goalkeeper Yassine Bounou keeping it clean at the back.

The only shadow over the night was Ismael Saibari. The midfielder pulled up in the 22nd minute and had to come off, replaced by Rahimi. Not the way anyone wanted his tournament to end (1).

Saibari injury leaves a question mark

No word yet on how serious Saibari's injury is. But losing him now, right before a quarter-final, is a problem. Rahimi came on and scored, so the depth held up against Canada. Whether it holds against better opposition is another matter.

Canada bow out

Canada's World Cup ends here. Tajon Buchanan and his teammates gave it a go, but Morocco were simply sharper. The three-goal margin tells the story (2).

What this means for you

Morocco are the story of the tournament so far in your region. That 2022 semifinal run was not a one-off. They look built for another deep push, and the bracket is opening up. If Saibari is fit, Morocco will fancy their chances against anyone.