Morocco and France will meet for a place in the FIFA World Cup Semi-Finals in Boston following Round of 16 victories over Canada and Paraguay respectively. The Quarter Final match-up between the pair was secured with contrasting wins in another absorbing day of football at the showpiece global event.

Canada 0 Morocco 3 

Three second half goals sent Morrocco into the FIFA World Cup Quarter Finals as an exceptional final forty minutes ended co-hosts Canada dreams of glory as the African nation won 3-0 in Houston. Azzedine Ounahi struck a brace to send Morocco on their way and Canada had no answer despite creating the better of the opportunities in the early stages.

Having reached the Semi-Finals of the 2022 edition in Qatar, Morocco were favourites for this last sixteen clash in Texas, but it was the Canadians who started much the brighter and would have been disappointed not to be ahead at the break. For Morocco, the loss of talismanic striker Ismael Saibari to injury stifled their rhythm and thy were glad to reach the interval at 0-0.

That all changed five minutes into the second half as Ounahi altered the complexion of the tie. Achraf Hakimi squared a free-kick into his path and the midfielder side-footed home a gorgeous low finish. As Canada pushed for an equaliser, they were hit with a sucker-punch, Brahim Diaz finding Ounahi again and, once more, his execution was perfect, thrashing home at the near-post.

Morocco put the gloss on the scoreline deep into stoppage time with a third. Diaz was again the architect, sliding a pass into the path of Soufiane Rahimi and the man who had the unenviable task of replacing Saibari kept his composure to fire home past the exposed Maxime Crépeau and send Morocco marching on.

Paraguay 0 France 1

A nerveless penalty from superstar Kylian Mbappé with twenty minutes to play sent France into the last eight with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia. The 2026 runners-up wore down Paraguay and finally find a way past a belligerent opponent to book their spot in the next round.

France dominated the match from almost first whistle to last but could not break down an attritional Paraguayan defence that smothered France’s attacking threat. The South Americans were solid and restricted one of the World Cup favourites to minimal chances in the opening half, getting under the skin of the European side and upsetting their usual fluid attacking style.

Eventually something had to give and, with just over twenty minutes remaining, France were handed a gilt-edged chance to make the breakthrough after Les Bleus were awarded a penalty after VAR review when Désiré Doué was upended. Mbappé was never going to pass up the opportunity, rifling the spot-kick into the bottom corner for his seventh goal of the competition.

That goal was France’s 150th in World Cup history, whilst also being Mbappé’s 19th in his extraordinary World Cup career to date. Needing a goal to stay in the tournament, Paraguay needed to throw caution to the wind and were almost caught out again in stoppage time when Mbappé was denied a second by a brilliant double-save from Orlando Gill.

RESULTS

Round of 16

Canada 0 Morocco 3 (Azzedine OUNAHI 50’, 82’, Soufiane RAHIMI 90+8’)

(Houston Stadium)

Paraguay 0 France 1 

(Philadelphia Stadium)

WHAT’S NEXT

Monday 6th July 

Round of 16

Brazil v Norway (New York/New Jersey, 8am NZT)

Mexico v England (Mexico City, 12pm NZT)