Morocco Dominates Canada, France Edges Paraguay in Thrilling Round of 16 Start
Azzedine Ounahi's brace leads Morocco to a 3-0 victory, while Kylian Mbappé's penalty sends France past Paraguay.
The story
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 commenced on Saturday, July 4th, delivering two decisive encounters. Morocco made a strong statement with a commanding 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada at Houston Stadium.
Azzedine Ounahi was the hero for the Atlas Lions, scoring a second-half brace in the 50th and 82nd minutes, followed by Soufiane Rahimi's late goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Earlier in the day, France secured a hard-fought 1-0 win against Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium.
Kylian Mbappé netted his seventh goal of the tournament from the penalty spot in the 70th minute, breaking a deadlock against a resilient Paraguayan defense. These results set up a quarter-final clash between Morocco and France, scheduled for July 9th.
Yesterday's results
| Match | Score | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Canada vs. Morocco | 0-3 | Azzedine Ounahi (50', 82'), Soufiane Rahimi (90+8') |
| Paraguay vs. France | 0-1 | Kylian Mbappé (70' pen) |
Where it stands
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 has begun, with Morocco and France successfully advancing to the quarter-finals. Canada and Paraguay have been eliminated from the tournament.
The knockout bracket is now taking definitive shape as teams battle through single-elimination matches for a coveted spot in the next round. All remaining nations have successfully navigated the initial group stage and Round of 32, with the stakes growing higher with each fixture.
Off the pitch
| Player | From | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrique George | Chelsea | Everton | €28 million (£18m fixed, £6m add-ons) |
| Ederson | Atalanta | Manchester United | €40.5m plus €4.5m in add-ons |
What we'll be watching
- Brazil vs. Norway (Round of 16, July 5, New York New Jersey Stadium, 4 p.m. ET)
- Mexico vs. England (Round of 16, July 5, Mexico City Stadium, 8 p.m. ET)
- Spain vs. Portugal (Round of 16, July 6, Dallas Stadium, 3 p.m. ET)
- USA vs. Belgium (Round of 16, July 7, Seattle, 1 a.m. ET)
- Argentina vs. Egypt (Round of 16, July 7, Atlanta, 5 p.m. ET)
- Switzerland vs. Colombia (Round of 16, July 7, Vancouver, 9 p.m. ET)
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.