Morocco qualified for the round of 16 of the World Cup for the second consecutive time, beating Canada 3-0, as the Atlas Lions secured the first ticket to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Moroccans scored all three goals in the second half, taking the lead with a brace from midfielder Azzedine Ounahi in the 50th and 82nd minutes. Ounahi celebrated finding the net for the first time in a World Cup, raising his tally to 11 goals in 54 international matches. Substitute Sofiane Rahimi added the third goal in the 98th minute.

With this victory, the Moroccans repeated their dominance over Canada for the second consecutive time after winning 2-1 in the group stage of the previous World Cup edition held in 2022 in Qatar.

A goalless draw dominated the first half, which started with the Canadian team pressing high and threatening the Atlas Lions' goal twice, but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was alert to save two chances from Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi within the first 10 minutes. The Moroccans suffered a heavy blow as coach Mohamed Ouhbi was forced to replace Ismael Saibari with Sofiane Rahimi after only 22 minutes.

The Atlas Lions did not put on a convincing performance in the first half, managing only one weak shot on goal from Sofiane Rahimi, which the Canadian keeper easily caught.

Aside from that, the Moroccan stars did not make a significant impact, and the team showed nervousness, with four players receiving yellow cards: captain Achraf Hakimi, Redouane Halhal, Azzedine Ounahi, and Bilal El Khannouss.

The Moroccan team showed a different face in the second half, benefiting from an early goal scored by Azzedine Ounahi after five minutes, a shot from the edge of the penalty area following a free kick taken by Hakimi. Ounahi celebrated his tenth goal for his country and his first in the World Cup.

Canada pressed fiercely during the last quarter-hour of the match, seeking an equalizer. Jonathan David shot over the crossbar from a free kick, and Bounou then saved a long-range shot from Buchanan. However, Canada left wide spaces in their defense due to their attacking push, which the Moroccan players exploited superbly on counterattacks. Ibrahim Diaz passed the ball to Ounahi, who shot powerfully from inside the penalty area to score his second goal for himself and his country.

The Canadians continued their attack without success, with wasted attempts from Promise David, Jayden Nelson, and Alistair Johnston. They fell into the trap of counterattacks again, with a move ending in a decisive pass from Diaz to Sofiane Rahimi, who scored the third goal for Morocco in the 98th minute before the final whistle.

Meanwhile, Brazil continues its quest for a fifth World Cup title when it faces Norway in the round of 16. Carlo Ancelotti's team continues its pursuit of the title that has eluded them for nearly 24 years, facing a strong and developed European team, Norway, which also has high ambitions that may not stop at defeating one of the major powers in the World Cup but aims to go far in the global competition.

The current Brazilian team possesses the character and impact that it lacked for many years, which may make the match against Norway another station on a long road to the title in an exceptional edition of the World Cup.

On the other hand, coach Ståle Solbakken's team has a strong desire to prove a better showing than in previous World Cup editions and considers the victory over Ivory Coast in the round of 32 just the beginning of a long journey in the knockout stages.

Norwegian ambition is heightened to leave an unforgettable mark with the team's presence in this tournament after an absence of more than 28 years, specifically since the 1998 France edition. The Norwegian team wants to surpass its best World Cup achievement, which was in 'France 98' when they reached the round of 16 but lost 1-0 to Italy.

If that participation included a historic generation led by striker Tore André Flo and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, the current generation also features distinguished players, led by giant striker Erling Haaland, the team's top scorer, along with Alexander Sørloth and captain Martin Ødegaard.

In contrast, Ancelotti's squad seeks to utilize its individual skills and collective work to overcome another obstacle in the knockout rounds, especially with players such as Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, who is enjoying his best period under the Italian coach, just as he did when he led him at the Spanish club.