2026 WORLD CUP ROUND OF 16 PREVIEW: Morocco
Ahead of the CanMNT's Round of 16 clash at the 2026 World Cup, Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic dives into everything you NEED to know about their opponents for that match, Morocco.
The lowdown:
FIFA Ranking (as of July 1st): 6th
Elo Ranking (as of July 1st): 16th
Head coach: Mohamed Ouahbi
Number of World Cups: 7 (1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Best World Cup result: Semi-finals (2022)
After an incredible run at the 2022 World Cup, Morocco have been on a mission to prove that it was not a one-off performance, and so far, they’ve succeeded in doing just that at this 2026 World Cup.
Having become the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2022, they’ll feel that there’s no reason why they can’t repeat the same trick (or even better) this year, especially given how well they’re playing.
Still yet to lose a game this tournament, despite playing some tough opponents in their first few matches, they’ve done well to prove their credentials as a top team, which is why they’ll be favoured to win this Round of 16 clash against Canada.
At the same time, given how close it was when these two teams last met - Morocco narrowly beat Canada 2-1 in their last group stage game of the 2022 World Cup - they’ll know that this won’t be an easy matchup, either.
This might be a better Moroccan team than the one they put out in 2022, which is a scary proposition, but this is also a much-improved Canadian side compared to the one they faced in that tournament, and they have proved that with their performance in recent games.
What that shows, though, is why this has the potential to be an entertaining game, making this a fitting matchup to kick off Round of 16 action on Saturday, July 4th in Houston.
How they got here:
Morocco’s journey to this point has quite literally been seamless, dating back to CAF World Cup qualifying.
There, they did well to navigate their group, which included sides like Niger, Tanzania, Zambia and Congo, without dropping a single point across eight qualifying matches. Yes, you read that correctly - they topped their group with 24 out of a possible 24 points after winning all eight of those games, as they easily earned automatic qualification to this World Cup without breaking much of a sweat.
Because of that, you can look at the way they’ve performed in this tournament and say that they’ve just picked up where they left off. They started this tournament with a bang, picking up an impressive 1-1 draw against heavyweights Brazil (in a game they could’ve arguably won), and built off that with a resolute 1-0 win vs. Scotland, before finishing Group C action with a 4-2 win vs. Haiti.
But, having only missed out on topping the group on goal difference after tying with Brazil on points, they were given an extremely tough Round of 32 matchup, as they were matched with the Netherlands, who had topped Group F.
A heavyweight clash between two teams ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA Rankings, it yielded a predictable outcome - a thoroughly entertaining match, one fitting of a quarter-final or a semi-final.
That was great for the neutral, but less than ideal for Morocco and the Netherlands, as they traded blows in a 1-1 draw, one that eventually reached penalties after a high-paced 90 minutes of regular time action, and 30 further tireless minutes of extra time after that.
In that shootout, however, Morocco pulled out some of the penalty magic that they had used on their run to the 2022 semi-finals, winning 3-2 on spot kicks to book their spot in the Round of 16.
It wasn’t easy, but they showed why they’ve cruised through qualifying, and why they were able to make a run to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final - this team is a force to be reckoned with on their day, which has made them not just one of the top teams in Africa, but one of the best in the world, period. 
How they’ll play:
Preferred formation: 4-2-3-1
While their current head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, has only been in charge of this team since March, the former Morocco U20 head coach, who famously led that side to a U20 World Cup triumph last fall, has fit in quite nicely for the departed Walid Regragui, who led this Morocco side on that 2022 World Cup run and had been in charge since before leaving this year.
A lot of the tactical ideas that this Moroccan team had before remain in place, as Ouahbi has only chosen to make smaller changes and tweaks to how his team plays.
For example, during Regragui’s last games in charge, he preferred to use more of a true 4-3-3, one with an out-and-out striker, but since Ouahbi has come in, he’s switched to a fluid 4-2-3-1 with a false nine, which has tweaked the way this team attacks on the ball.
Yet, while this Moroccan attack is now more fluid and dangerous than ever under Ouahbi, they’ve still stuck to the core tactical philosophies that have helped them find success over the last half-decade - they’re extremely organized and hard to break down defensively, they’re patient on the ball, and they play at an extremely high pace.
You could see that in their clash against the Netherlands, which was an excellent advert for what this team does well. To start the game, they played a bit more defensively, as they let the Netherlands have the ball, and then as they grew into the game, they started to show more creativity and adventure in the attack.
Eventually, by the end of the match, they were on the front foot, dictating play, as they tried to wear down the Netherlands with their play on the ball - given the sloppy nature of some of the Dutch penalties, they’ll argue that the work they did paid off in the end.
The numbers back up that idea, too - across the four games they’ve played at this World Cup, Morocco is averaging 1.75 goals for and 1.83 xG (on 14 shots) for per game, along with 1 goal against and 0.6 xG against (conceding just 7.25 shots) per game, showing that they’ve been excellent on both sides of the ball. Along with the fact that they’re averaging just under 60% possession, it shows that they’ve lived up to that idea that they’re both a team that can be dangerous with and without the ball, even if they're most comfortable when it’s at their feet.
If anything, the best way to describe this Moroccan side is as one that is fitting of what the modern game has become, as they’re truly comfortable in all phases of the game.
Against a team that likes to hold the ball, they can sit back and absorb pressure. Against a side that loves to press, they can hold onto the ball. Against a physical team, they can be just as robust in duels. Against a team that sits in the low block, they can break them down.
When seeing that, you can see why they’ve lost just two games in regular time since the end of the 2022 World Cup, as they’re a tough team to get the better of.
Players to watch:
Ouahbi’s arrival has been good news for younger Moroccan players, as this is a young side, one with an impressive 13 players 25 or younger in it.
At the same time, he’s not completely moved away from the older generation of players that found success at the 2022 tournament, either, as they’ve also got six players 30 or older in the team.
As for where this squad plays, a large chunk finds itself in Europe, with 20 out of 26 players playing there, including 15 in Europe’s top five leagues, and four others across the Dutch and Belgian leagues. In terms of where the others find themselves, however, two are in Saudi Arabia, two are in Morocco, one is in the UAE, and the other is in Egypt.
In net, Yassine Bounou is the big name to watch in this game, one that will be extremely special for the 35-year-old Al Hilal goalkeeper. Having been born in Montréal, the veteran goalkeeper has strong connections to Canada, which is a huge storyline when considering how much this Canadian side has grown over the past decade. Having been part of Morocco’s senior squad since 2013 (at the time Canada was ranked in the 100s), one can only imagine how he’s followed Canada’s journey over the last few years.
A crucial part of this Morocco team, he is a key backbone of this team’s defensive success, as he often steps up with big saves in the rare moments where his side makes mistakes (he’s only made six stops this tournament, but several of them were big ones). Yet, that shows why it’s often so hard to score against this Moroccan side - once you get past their resolute backline, you then have to beat Bounou, which is not easy to do even at his age.
Up the pitch, Achraf Hakimi is a huge piece at full-back, as you can argue that the 27-year-old is the heartbeat of this team as their captain. What’s not up for debate, however, is that he’s their best player, as the PSG right back has proven his skills for club and country in recent years - in particular, his play over the last two years with PSG, who have won the last two Champions Leagues, has arguably cemented him as the top right back in the world. Yet, that shows why he was named the African footballer of the year in 2025, and why he finished sixth in last year’s Ballon D’Or rankings, as he’s not just one of the best defenders in the world, but one of the best players, period.
Given the freedom to push forward in this fluid attacking system, he’s generated an impressive 13 shots (worth 2.07 xG) and has created 14 chances across just four games, which would be fantastic numbers for a winger or attacking midfielder, let alone for a defender, which shows how big of a role he plays in Morocco’s attack (and his defensive numbers aren’t bad either, as he has 18 defensive contributions and 18 recoveries across these four games, too).
Moving up the pitch, Ayyoub Bouaddi has been a big standout this tournament, as the 18-year-old Lille OSC midfielder has been a breakout star in Morocco’s midfield. Despite only making his Morocco debut in their pre-World Cup friendlies, he quickly earned a starting spot for the World Cup, and he’s made the most of that opportunity, shining in all of their performances, showing good steadiness on the ball, completing over 91% of his passes, in particular.
Then, in attack, you have to highlight two key names when looking at this Morocco team.
Firstly, you have to talk about Brahim Díaz, as the 26-year-old Real Madrid attacking midfielder has become a huge part of this team since committing to Morocco in 2024. With his skill on the ball, everything in Morocco’s attack seems to flow through him, as he’s dangerous between the lines and lethal with his final action (he has two assists in four games). Given a free role to operate within this system, he can be so tough for defenders to track, too, as he’ll sometimes pop up deeper in the pitch before bursting forward to find space in the box.
Secondly, you have to mention Ismael Saibari, who has been immense in this tournament for Morocco. Usually an attacking midfielder, he’s been deployed as a false nine, and that role has suited him perfectly, as shown by the fact that he’s been able to score three goals, with those goals coming across three different games. With his ability to find space in the attack, he’s been a nightmare for defenders to deal with, as he knows when to drop in and combine, but has also shown a willingness to run in behind, which you don’t always see with false nines. Yet, you can argue that his profile is the big reason Morocco’s formation shift has worked, as what he is doing up front has given a new dimension to this team’s attack. 
Numbers via FotMob.
Tournament expectations:
Heading into this tournament, it felt like Morocco’s objective was to at least reach the quarter-finals, which is why they’ll be hungry to win this game.
On paper, though, with the talent that they have, how they’ve played and the experience they’ve accumulated as a side, make no mistake - this is a team that could very well win the tournament.
At the very least, though, they’ll keep their focus on that original quarter-final objective for now. A big reason for that? If they do get past Canada, France would be their likely opponent, which would be a tasty matchup given that it was that same France side who eliminated Morocco at the 2022 World Cup.
You have to imagine that Morocco would love a world where they return to the semi-finals of the World Cup after exacting some revenge on that French side, but for that to be possible, they need to take care of business against Canada first.
One big question:
Can Morocco avoid defensive lapses?
Surprisingly, given how good their advanced numbers are defensively, it stands out that Morocco have conceded four goals in four games and have only kept one clean sheet.
Those aren’t bad numbers, per se, but the numbers indicate that they should be stingier than what they’ve shown, which is something worth noting.
A big reason for that, however, is that they’ve gotten into the habit of conceding some sloppy goals. Against Brazil, they fell asleep and allowed way too much space to the dangerous Vinicius Jr., while against Haiti, they had a couple of lapses that led to Haiti surprisingly scoring two against them.
Then, against the Netherlands, they were almost eliminated after allowing a sloppy transition goal, only rescuing themselves with a late equalizer, as they were minutes away from an earlier-than-expected exit.
It’s often said that the key to winning knockout games at a World Cup is to limit mistakes, so Morocco will want to flush some of those errors out of their system and not give any freebies to this Canadian team.
