Azzedine Ounahi celebrating one of his goals with Achraf Hakimi

Canada had already rewritten football history with its run at the 2026 World Cup. Standing between the hosts and the quarter-finals, however, was a Moroccan side that has become one of the most respected teams in the tournament, and on Saturday in Houston, the Atlas Lions showed exactly why. Azzedine Ounahi's second-half double and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Soufiane Rahimi sealed a 3-0 win that ended Canada's adventure and sent Morocco into a second consecutive quarter-final.

When the action got underway last month, few thought Canada would make it this far. Yes, there was home support and optimism around the squad, but no one truly believed they would reach the Round of 16. The team seemed to improve with every match, and the victory over South Africa showed why the run deserved to be celebrated. In the end, though, this tie proved a step too far.

Morocco's story is a different one entirely. In 2022, the side became the first African team ever to reach a World Cup semi-final, and this tournament has shown yet again that the Atlas Lions belong among the elite. The dramatic win over the Netherlands demonstrated the team's resilience; the clinical dismantling of Canada demonstrated its ruthlessness. Morocco's remarkable unbeaten run now stretches to a reported 34 matches.

A Tie That Lived Up to Its Billing

When the World Cup reaches the knockout stages, there are always one or two matches that capture the imagination of neutrals, and Canada vs Morocco delivered, even if the final scoreline told only part of the story.

The anticipated clash of styles played out almost exactly as expected. Canada set a high tempo, fed off the energy of the home support and drove much of the play before the break, racking up 11 corners to Morocco's one and finishing the day with double their opponents' shot count. What the hosts couldn't find was a finish, with Yassine Bounou blocking Tani Oluwaseyi's effort in the game's best early opening.

The first half was as scrappy as it was intense. Referee Michael Oliver reached for his pocket six times before the interval, with Achraf Hakimi and Richie Laryea booked together after their running battle down the flank boiled over. Morocco was also forced into an early change, losing Ismael Saibari, one of the stars of its tournament, to injury, with Soufiane Rahimi sent on in his place.

Then came the moment that changed everything. Five minutes after the restart, Hakimi cut a free-kick back for Ounahi, who threaded a low finish through a crowd of bodies and past Maxime Crepeau. Canada pushed for a response and inevitably left space behind; with eight minutes remaining, Morocco countered and Ounahi buried Brahim Diaz's lay-off high into the net for his second, the first knockout-round brace by an African player since Senegal's Henri Camara in 2002. Deep into stoppage time, Diaz slipped a through ball for Rahimi to finish smartly and complete the scoring, the playmaker's fourth assist of the tournament setting a new African World Cup record.

For all Canada's effort, Morocco needed just five shots to win the tie, reportedly the fewest ever by a winning team in the World Cup knockout rounds. It was a masterclass in efficiency from a side that has made a habit of doing exactly enough.

Canada's World Cup Has Changed Football at Home

In truth, the result against Morocco changes very little about what this tournament has meant to the host nation. The last few weeks have transformed the way Canadians view the sport, bringing in a whole new generation of fans.

The last few decades saw the men's team struggle to make any sort of impact. Being hosts this time around meant the team qualified automatically and was instantly subjected to the weight of expectation. There was real concern that the pressure might be too much, but what we saw was a Canadian team that fully embraced the occasion. First came a first World Cup point, then a first victory, then progression into the knockout rounds. Each barrier the team encountered was overcome, until the very last one.

Jesse Marsch deserves huge credit for how far the team came. His sides have always been known for aggressive pressing and quick transitions, but the international game demands more balance, and Canada found it while still showing a willingness to attack. Even in defeat, the hosts gave a strong account of themselves, controlling long spells of the first half.

There were disappointments on the day, of course. Alphonso Davies' name was missing from the starting XI, robbing fans of the much-anticipated duel with Hakimi. Jonathan David, Canada's most reliable finisher, found chances almost impossible to come by against one of the tournament's meanest defences and picked up a first-half booking for his troubles. Stephen Eustaquio worked tirelessly in midfield, but for all of Canada's territory and set pieces, the breakthrough never arrived.

None of that should overshadow the bigger picture. The players left the pitch in Houston with their heads held high, later thanking supporters in an emotional social media post, and judging by the scenes at watch parties across the country, the affection is very much mutual.

Morocco Continues to Carry Africa's Hopes

Canada's was a story of rapid progress; Morocco's is one of relentless consistency. The 2022 run to the semi-finals made the world sit up and take note of African football, and rather than treating it as a fairytale, the nation has spent four years building on it.

The performances at this tournament have proven the point. The group stage was demanding, with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland to negotiate, yet Morocco emerged with the defensive structure of four years ago and a newfound confidence in possession. The Round of 32 win over the Netherlands was something else again: behind in the second half, Morocco stayed disciplined, forced extra time through Issa Diop's stoppage-time header, and prevailed on penalties thanks to Bounou's heroics and Ismael Saibari's decisive kick.

Against Canada, that knockout pedigree told. The team weathered a first half in which it created almost nothing, lost a key attacker to injury and collected its share of bookings, then calmly took control of the tie in the space of 40 second-half minutes. Ounahi announced himself on the biggest stage with his first World Cup goals, and tellingly, Morocco has still never lost a match in which he has scored.

The victory carries historical weight too. Morocco becomes the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals more than once, and next up is a mouth-watering rematch with France in Boston on Thursday, the very opponent that ended the 2022 run at the semi-final stage. Hakimi continues to lead by example at both ends of the pitch, and with Bounou providing his usual authority behind him, few will relish facing the Atlas Lions now.

Drake Backed Canada Again, Then Switched Sides

With its unexpected run, Canada attracted attention well beyond the usual football circles, and no supporter drew more headlines than Drake.

The rapper had already shown his backing when Canada faced South Africa in the previous round, reportedly staking $770,000 on the win and collecting a payout worth around $1 million. It continued his long-running association with major sporting events, one that hasn't always gone his way. Before the 2022 final, he bet on Argentina to beat France within 90 minutes; Argentina lifted the trophy, but only after extra time and penalties, leaving Drake without a payout.

With Canada preparing for the biggest match in its history, everyone expected another significant wager on the home side. What came next surprised everyone.

Unexpected Turn of Events: Drake Bets on Morocco, and Wins

In an unexpected twist on his usual high-stakes wagers, Drake placed a modest $1 bet on Morocco to defeat Canada, leaning into the long-running "Drake curse" meme by betting against his own home country. Announcing the wager on Instagram, the rapper joked that he was going with a "reverse curse strategy", and Canada's official team account even thanked him for it. Fans online loved the reverse-psychology play, hoping the jinx would swing in the Canadians' favor one more time.

This time, though, the curse never had a chance to kick in. Morocco cruised to a dominant 3-0 victory, and Drake walked away with a grand total of $0.42 in profit. Given the tiny stake, most saw the whole thing as a lighthearted troll rather than a serious wager, though the 42-cent payday quickly became a punchline of its own, with fans joking it might be the rapper's most reliable return on a sports bet yet.

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Whether Drake now dares to back Morocco against France, or returns to his old habits, remains to be seen, but supporters following WC predictions at Stake will no doubt be watching his account closely before Thursday's quarter-final.

The Battles That Decided the Match

Several individual contests shaped the outcome, though not always the ones expected. The headline duel between Davies and Hakimi never materialized with the Canadian absent from the starting lineup. Instead, Hakimi found himself in a feisty running battle with Richie Laryea that earned both players a booking, yet it was the Moroccan who produced the game's decisive moment of quality, teeing up Ounahi for the opener. His ability to defend, scrap and create within the same 90 minutes remains unmatched among the world's full-backs.

The contest between Jonathan David and Morocco's central defenders went emphatically the defenders' way. As predicted, clear chances were scarce, and the back line marshalled by Issa Diop gave Canada's most dangerous forward almost nothing to work with.

In midfield, the battle for tempo swung the tie. Canada kept the game open and energetic before the break, but Morocco's patience gradually settled the rhythm, and it was Ounahi's late arrivals from midfield that ultimately made the difference. And fittingly, given how often knockout football is decided by fine margins, it was a worked free-kick routine that broke the deadlock, a painful irony for a Canadian side that won 11 corners without ever truly threatening from one.

What Comes Next for Both Nations

Canada may have fallen short of the quarter-finals, but the foundations laid over the past month are real. Hosting the World Cup has opened the sport up to more people than ever before, a young core has now tasted knockout football, and interest in the game at home will only grow from here.

For Morocco, the motivation is bigger still. Another statement performance has reinforced its reputation as one of the world's most consistent tournament teams, and Thursday's meeting with France offers the chance to avenge 2022 and keep Africa's hopes of a historic World Cup campaign very much alive.

Final Thoughts

Canada and Morocco reached this stage through very different journeys, and both showed why they deserved their place in the last sixteen. Canada's fearless approach captured the imagination of supporters across the host nation, while Morocco once again demonstrated why it is regarded as one of the toughest teams to face in international football.

Whether the 3-0 scoreline was a fair reflection of the contest is debatable, the underlying numbers suggest a far tighter affair, but knockout football rewards ruthlessness, and right now, nobody does ruthless quite like the Atlas Lions. Canada's remarkable run is over; Morocco's march into World Cup history continues.