Canada’s magical World Cup run ends in a 3-0 loss to Morocco in the round of 16

HOUSTON (AP) — Canada’s unprecedented run to the World Cup’s round of 16 put the country where hockey is king in the international soccer spotlight.

Now, the challenge is to build on this year’s success.

“It’s a privilege to have a Canadian national team competing on the international level at levels that had never been dreamed of 10 years ago,” coach Jesse Marsch said. “There’s real excitement. With that excitement comes higher expectations, right? So, next World Cup, everyone’s gonna say that anything less than the round of 16 is a failure.”

Canada’s magical World Cup run ended Saturday as Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to lead Morocco to a 3-0 win and make the country the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals more than once.

The loss came after World Cup co-host Canada won its first-ever knockout round with a 1-0 victory over South Africa to reach Saturday’s match. The country, which is 30th in the FIFA rankings, was playing in the World Cup for just the third time and the run had captivated a nation that is normally far more interested in hockey than the pitch.

“Something that’s going to resonate most with this team and the country is that we really proved to everyone what a footballing country Canada is,” defender Alistair Johnston said.

The game was tied at halftime after a first half in which Canada controlled possession.

Neither team was able to break through until Ounahi took a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and made a right-footed shot through traffic from outside the box to the bottom right corner to put Morocco on top 1-0 in the 50th minute.

Ounahi made it 2-0 on a right-footed shot from the middle of the box off a pass from Brahim Díaz in the 82nd minute.

Soufiane Rahimi added a goal in the final minute of stoppage time.

Despite the lopsided score, Marsch thought his team played better than Morocco and shared his postgame message to his players.

“I told them that I was proud of them and I challenged them to understand that we can play like this all the time against the best teams in the world,” he said. “We can be better on the day. And then the challenge is, can we hold that standard for 90 minutes?”

Midfielder Stephen Eustáquio, who scored the only goal in Canada’s win over South Africa, believes the team’s success in this World Cup will build confidence and lead to more success in the future.

“The fact that we were able to be one of the 16 best teams of this World Cup is amazing for the country,” he said. “It’s amazing for this team. But we have to start from there realizing that the gap isn’t that big and that we have to fight.”

Canada reached the round of 16 despite missing star Alphonso Davies for the majority of the tournament because of a hamstring injury. The Bayern Munich player logged only 15 minutes as a substitute in the victory over South Africa but wasn’t available Saturday.

Marsch knows there’s still more work to do in terms of continuing to build infrastructure and youth academies in the country to feed talent into the national team.

But that’s for another day. On Saturday, he simply wanted to take a moment to appreciate what his plucky team accomplished this year.

“In terms of the commitment of the group and making the country proud and making the program proud they couldn’t have done more,” he said. “And in dealing with injuries and question marks and things being unsure on so many different levels, the group stayed strong throughout the tournament.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Fans at FIFA Fan Fest react as Morocco defeats Canada to advance during the second half of their World Cup soccer match in Toronto on Saturday, July 4, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian players react as Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi (8) scores their first goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Canada and Morocco in Houston, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Canada's Stephen Eustaquio (7) stands on the pitch after the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Canada and Morocco in Houston, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch reacts after the World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Houston, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Canada's Alistair Johnston, top, and Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi vie for the ball during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Canada and Morocco in Houston, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In the last 2026 World Cup match in Philadelphia, Paraguay played a style that has been seen many times before at the city’s football stadium.

La Albirroja's physical approach in their 1-0 loss to France in the Round of 16 looked more like what might be seen on a Sunday in the fall from the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, who play their home games at Lincoln Financial Field.

Eagles coach Nick Siranni might have liked what he saw. Les Bleus sure didn’t.

“I had never played a match like this, with so many hits,” France midfielder Manu Koné said. “I mean, cheap shots, shoves in the back. So, yes, it was complicated.”

Paraguay seemed to target star forward Kylian Mbappé, who converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute.

Andrés Cubas grabbed Mbappé in the offensive third, resulting in mass confrontation in the 35th minute. Later in the first half, Matias Galarza made contact with Mbappé off the ball, sending him sprawling to the turf. And in the 77th minute, Juan José Cáceres kicked the France forward in the right shin. None of these fouls resulted in yellow cards.

In fact, France received the only three yellow cards issued during the match. Paraguay got one after the final whistle for dissent toward the referee.

Paraguay’s tactics came as no surprise to its opponent.

“We knew what kind of match it was going to be,” Mbappé said. “We can also get our hands dirty. We know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready. Even at that kind of game, we were better than them.”

Things remained heated — both figuratively and literally, with the game played in scorching temperatures — after the match. Players from both sides converged near the center circle, and Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill threw a ball at Mbappé’s back.

“I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper,” Gill said.

Tempers weren’t exactly under control during the match, either. La Albirroja planned to make it tough.

“From the very first moment, we set out to make our presence felt on the pitch — to play hard,” Gill said. “If the ball gets through, the man doesn’t. And, honestly, I think the team handled itself well.”

France felt otherwise.

“They pull out every trick in the book,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “It’s not the kind of football that draws people to the stadium. Each team played the way they want. But there were insults from the other bench that I could do without.”

There also appeared to be bad words flying on the pitch, with Mbappé and Galarza verbally sparring at one point.

It seemed, at times, as if the referee could have used some yellow flags, like in American football, in addition to yellow cards.

“We fought a battle,” France’s William Saliba said. “We won the battle.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro embraces player Orlando Gill at the end of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Kylian Mbappe celebrates France's victory as Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill holds the ball after the final whistle of a World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Paraguay players leave the pitch as they react after losing against France at the end of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Paraguay's Gustavo Gomez reacts at the end of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

France's Kylian Mbappe, left, and Paraguay's Juan Jose Caceres scuffle during a World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)