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HOUSTON/BOSTON, July 5 (Alliance News): France and Morocco booked their places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals on Saturday after overcoming Paraguay and Canada respectively, setting up a blockbuster last-eight clash in a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semifinal.
Morocco extended their remarkable unbeaten run to 34 matches with a commanding 3-0 victory over Canada in Houston. Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi starred with two second-half goals, while Soufiane Rahimi added a stoppage-time strike to seal the Atlas Lions’ second consecutive World Cup quarterfinal appearance.
After a cautious opening half dominated by Canada, Morocco broke the deadlock in the 50th minute when Achraf Hakimi cleverly laid off a free-kick to Ounahi, who fired a first-time effort into the bottom corner.
Ounahi doubled the lead in the 82nd minute after combining with Brahim Diaz, before Rahimi capped the victory with a third goal deep into stoppage time.
Canada’s historic World Cup campaign came to an end despite an impressive first-half display. The North Americans, who had reached the knockout stage for the first time and eliminated South Africa in the Round of 32, created several early chances but were repeatedly denied by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, whose crucial saves kept his side in the contest.
Morocco suffered an injury setback when leading scorer Ismael Saibari was forced off in the 22nd minute with a suspected hamstring injury.
Nevertheless, Walid Regragui’s side maintained their composure and clinical finishing to secure a convincing victory.
Earlier, Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal as France edged Paraguay 1-0 in a hard-fought Round of 16 encounter played in sweltering conditions.
Mbappé converted a 70th-minute penalty after substitute Désiré Doué was fouled inside the penalty area following a dazzling run.
The goal was Mbappé’s 19th career World Cup strike and his seventh of the 2026 tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings while moving him within one goal of Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record.
Paraguay produced a disciplined defensive performance after their shock penalty shootout victory over Germany in the previous round, frustrating the two-time world champions for much of the contest.
However, France eventually found the breakthrough after a VAR review overturned the referee’s initial decision and awarded the decisive penalty.
France manager Didier Deschamps praised his players for adapting to Paraguay’s physical approach.
“We knew the kind of match we were going to face. It wasn’t pretty, but the players showed character and found a way to win,” Deschamps said after the match.
Mbappé also acknowledged the physical nature of the encounter, saying France had to “get their hands dirty” to secure victory against a resilient opponent.
Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill made several outstanding saves to prevent Mbappé from adding to his tally late in the game, while substitute Mauricio registered Paraguay’s only shot on target in the closing stages.
France will now face Morocco in the quarterfinals on July 9 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, rekindling memories of their 2-0 victory over the Atlas Lions in the 2022 World Cup semifinal.
The eagerly anticipated encounter promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the tournament as Morocco seeks revenge against the defending European giants.
