Canadian fans at home and around the world will cheer on the men’s soccer team as they take on their toughest opponent yet: Morocco.
The loser of today’s match will be eliminated from the tournament, while the winner moves on to the quarter-finals to face either Paraguay or France.
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Crepeau makes his first save
The substitute Rakimi takes a deflected pop from distance and Crepeau dives to his right to make a comfortable save.
TSN.ca staff
Morocco substitution
Morocco substituted out Ismael Saibari and substituted in Soufiana Rahimi. A big loss here for Morocco’s attack.
TSN.ca staff
Saibari worse for wear here
Ismael Saibari has gone done and needed treatment. It appears to be his hamstring and he’s in some discomfort. He’s coming off.
TSN.ca staff
First Yellow Card to Morocco
Redouane Halhal goes into the book for a hard challenge on Oluwaseyi.
TSN.ca staff
Eustáquio’s ball for Buchanan is deflected out for a corner.
The Porto midfielder takes on the near side again. The delivery is good and Alistair Johnston’s header is powerful, but off a defender’s leg and out of danger.
TSN.ca staff
Canada’s Alistair Johnston goes head-to-head with Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi
The Canadian Press
Ouahbi animated on the touchline
Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi looks a little agitated as he shouts instructions from the touchline.
TSN.ca staff
Third Corner Canada
A third corner as Tajon Buchanan is dispossessed just outside the box. Eustáquio moves over to the near side to take. Luc de Fougerolles’ header is eventually cleared.
TSN.ca staff
Corner Canada
Richie Laryea makes a run into the area and wins a corner. Stephen Eustáquio takes and it’s punched away by Bono.
TSN.ca staff
Game begins
Canada and Morocco kick off round-of-16 matchup in Houston.
Watch party sold out in Vancouver
The FIFA Fan Festival watch party at the PNE in Vancouver hit capacity and sold out about an hour before Canada’s elimination match against Morocco.
Buses and SkyTrains were packed to the brim as fans hurried to find a place to take in what could be Canada’s last match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
CTV News learned the Fan Festival was full of people by about 8 a.m., and staff were forced to close off access to the amphitheatre floor before 9.a.m.
James Paracy, CTVNewsVancouver.ca
The last time these two teams met
Canada and Morocco met in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on the final matchday. After losses to Belgium and Croatia, Canada had already been eliminated, while Morocco was looking for a win to move on to the knockouts.Morocco got on the board early through a goal from Hakim Ziyech in the fourth minute, taking advantage from some terrible miscommunication between Steven Vitoria and Milan Borjan.
They would go up two to the good in the 23rd through Youssef En-Nesyri. Before the break, Canada would pull one back through a Nayef Aguerd own goal, but that’s as close as Canada would come as it ended its tournament with a 2-1 loss. Morocco would go on to a Cinderella run, becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals at a World Cup where they ultimately fell to France.
Both teams are much changed from Qatar. Of the 16 players who featured for Canada that day, eight (including six starters) are not on the current squad and another player (Ismaël Koné) is injured. Morocco also used 16 players with 11 players not returning.
Tsn.ca staff
Morocco’s Canadian connection
Morocco goalkeeper Bono is actually Canadian. The 35-year-old Al Hilal No. 1 was born in Montreal and spent the first three years of his life there before returning to his parents’ native Morocco.Prior to joining Al Hilal in 2023, Bono spent the vast majority of his career in Spain with Sevilla, Girona, Zaragoza and Atletico.
Tsn.ca staff
Canada jerseys flying off the rack in Toronto
Canada jerseys at the Toronto Fan Fest have completely sold out at the merchandise shop, with staff even pulling display jerseys off mannequins to meet demand. Among the lucky fans was Joe, originally from England but living in Canada for the past 24 years, who managed to grab the final jersey available.Joe joked that the jersey will go to someone else, adding with a laugh, “make them pay double.” It was one more sign of the excitement surrounding Canada’s Round of 16 matchup against Morocco.
Sean Leathong, CTV News Toronto journalist
Morocco players walked out to loud cheers
A roar bellowed from the crowd in Houston as Morocco ran out onto the field for warmups. Moroccan fans are also donning red for the game, but their cheers made it clear that much of the stadium is supporting the Atlas Lions.
The Canadian Press
Canadian players warm up on the field
Canada has taken the field at Houston Stadium for warmups ahead of their round-of-16 matchup against Morocco. Audible cheers came from fans in the stands wrapped in large Maple Leaf flags, and players clapped in appreciation as they ran out.
The Canadian Press
Recapping how Canada has performed in the World Cup so far
After a historic underdog win over South Africa, Canada is only four wins away from the World Cup title and set to face Morocco in less than an hour at the Houston stadium.
Here’s a recap of how the team has done so far:
Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegonia
In many ways, a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina felt like a victory for Canada on a historic day for the host side at the FIFA World Cup on on Friday, June 12
It was the first Canadian goal scored on home soil in this tournament and the first point for the country in seven all-time World Cup games.
Canada earned its first-ever victory at the men’s World Cup with a 6-0 win over Qatar Thursday, June 18. Thousands of fans inside Vancouver’s BC Place became a sea of red, cheering on the home team as forward Jonathan David recorded a hat trick, the first recorded by a CONCACAF player at the World Cup in nearly 100 years.
This game marked the team’s first loss, at 2-1, to an opponent that came into the tournament in the top 20 of FIFA’s world rankings on Wednesday, June 24.
Switzerland took the top spot in Group B and Canada finished as the runner-up, advancing to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time ever.
Canada made history on Sunday, June 28 with a 1-0 win over South Africa, after central midfielder Stephen Eustaquio scored the match’s only goal in the second-half stoppage time. The dramatic victory sent Canada to Round 16 for the first time ever.
CTVNews.ca staff
Check out what the fans are wearing in Houston
Fifty minutes before kickoff, Canadian fans are ready and waiting at the stadium in Houston, armed in red and white, with posters and flags to show their support for the team.
Check out what the fans are wearing here:
The Canadian Press
No voice? No problem for this Toronto fan
If enthusiasm alone decided the outcome, Osman Khan would have already done his part.CTV News Toronto’s Sean Leathong caught up with Khan, who was first in line outside of Toronto’s fan festival and arrived at 8: 45 a.m. ET. Khan said he has just about lost his voice after cheering throughout the entire World Cup, but that didn’t stop him from showing up early once again, dressed in his Team Canada shirt and prepared for the forecast with a poncho.
For supporters like Khan, today’s knockout match is worth every sore throat, as fans hope Canada’s World Cup run continues.
Sean Leathong, CTV News Toronto journalist
Early, long lines at Toronto’s Fan Fest
The excitement is already building hours before kickoff.CTV News Toronto’s Sean Leathong reports long lines of Canada supporters stretching down Fort York Boulevard, with fans arriving nearly two hours before Canada’s Round of 16 match against Morocco. Many are hoping to secure a spot inside the official FIFA Fan Festival which the city has said is subject to capacity and will operate on a “first come” basis throughout the tournament.
Sean Leathong, CTV News Toronto journalist
Canadian underdogs
Canadian coach Jesse Marsch said his young team is excited and looking forward to playing a “big” opponent today. And the players are promising to leave it all on the field in trying to pull off one of the biggest upsets yet.
On paper, today’s Canada versus Morocco Round of 16 showdown at the FIFA World Cup is a mismatch, a minnow versus a shark, or soccer’s version of David and Goliath.
Morocco, the sixth-ranked team in the world that made it to the tournament’s final four in 2022, is heavily favoured to eliminate the Canadian overachievers, who have recorded a number of impressive firsts at this World Cup — first goal, first win, first appearance in a knockout game, and first appearance in the Round of 16.
But while Canada has already eliminated one African nation — 1-0 knockout stage victory over South Africa last Sunday in Los Angeles — another one stands in the way of an appearance in the quarterfinals.
The Canadian Press
A fresher Canadian club
“We know that everybody’s going to write us off,” said Canadian coach Jesse Marsch. “But … we are focused on trying to really be our best for this match and deliver the best performance of our lives.”
The Canadian crew also pointed out that Morocco used a lot of energy in getting past the Netherlands on Monday, winning 3-2 on penalties after playing 30 minutes of extra time.
The Canadian Press
Canada’s starting lineup
Jesse Marsch has been forced into many of his lineup decisions at the FIFA World Cup due to injuries, but the Canada head coach has consistently tinkered with the top of his formation by choice.
While Canada has sent out two strikers to start each of their four matches, Tani Oluwaseyi and Cyle Larin have both seen starts beside Jonathan David, while Promise David has made his impact felt as a substitute.
It remains unclear who will get the start in Saturday’s historic Round of 16 clash against Morocco as Canada looks to upset the 2022 semifinalists.
Marsch caught many off guard when he elected to start Oluwaseyi over Larin in Canada’s opening match of the tournament. It was the veteran Larin, though, that entered off the match and scored to secure a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada’s first-ever World Cup point.
TSN.ca staff. Read the full story here.
Canada to host final game next week
Toronto hosted its last World Cup match on Thursday, and Vancouver is set to wrap up its stint next Tuesday.
Fans in both cities can still attend the FIFA Fan Festival, which will continue to broadcast games until the end of the World Cup.
Columbia beats Ghana
Jhon Arias scored the lone goal in the 14th minute and Colombia earned a spot in the World Cup’s round of 16 with a 1-0 victory over Ghana on Friday in Kansas City, Mo.
Arias’ goal held up as the Colombian defense didn’t allow Ghana to get a single shot on goal against goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Colombia will face Switzerland in the round of 16 on Tuesday in Vancouver.
Colombia didn’t qualify for the 2022 World Cup, but they did reach the round of 16 in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2014.
Lawrence Ati Zigi was stellar in goal with seven saves for Ghana.
Colombia had a 20-8 edge in shots and placed eight on target.
Reuters
Argentina survives tough battle against Cape Verde
Cape Verde, with a population of just over 500,000, rocked Lionel Messi’s Argentina with two stunning equalizers to raise the prospect of pulling off the greatest upset in World Cup history at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Friday.
But a Diney Borges own goal, under pressure from Argentina’s Cristian Romero, in the 111th minute finally broke Cape Verde’s resistance.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said losing to Cape Verde “would have been madness.”
It was “a very tough match; you always have to take the positives – this team (Argentina) never gives up,” Scaloni said.
“We have to congratulate the opponent; when people say there are no easy opponents, they proved today that they are a great team,” he added.
Argentina, who are bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962, will play Egypt on Tuesday in Atlanta for a place in the quarterfinals.
AFP
England, Mexico face off Sunday
England’s World Cup last-16 match against Mexico will kick off at its originally scheduled time on Sunday following discussions over possibly bringing the start of the game forward due to storms, a source close to the arrangements said Friday.
Reports in Britain and Mexico said earlier Friday that FIFA was planning to move the kick-off at the Estadio Azteca from 6:00pm local time to midday due to concerns over forecast storms and flooding in Mexico City on Sunday.
However a source with knowledge of the FIFA discussions said Friday that the game would start at its original time, emphasising that “no decision was ever made to reschedule KO time.”
When asked about the potential change in kick-off, England forward Marcus Rashford said at training on Friday it would not be “ideal” but that players would take it in their stride.
“How we prepare for the game, it has to remain the same. We have to be focused, we have to be ready for anything,” Rashford said.
AFP
