Canada and Morocco clash Saturday night at Houston Stadium in the World Cup round of 16. Fresh off their historic win against South Africa—thanks to Stephen Eustaquio’s dramatic 92nd-minute strike—Canada head into their first ever knockout match at the tournament.
Morocco, meanwhile, survived a wild ride against the Netherlands. Issa Diop’s late header forced penalties, and the Atlas Lions pulled through with a 3-2 shootout win.
If you look at history, Canada haven’t managed to beat Morocco yet. They’ve played four times and most recently faced each other in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup, where Morocco edged Canada 2-1. The winner here goes on to face either Paraguay or France in the quarter-finals.
Team news
Canada
Jesse Marsch has a couple of tough choices ahead. Alphonso Davies returned to action for Canada for the first time since March 2025, coming off the bench in the 75th minute against South Africa. He’s in the mix for a starting spot, but Richie Laryea, who’s been steady at left back all tournament, remains the dependable pick. Ismael Kone is out with a broken ankle, so Marsch has to shuffle the midfield. On the left wing, Jacob Shaffelburg and Liam Millar are fighting for the nod, and up top Tani Oluwaseyi and Cyle Larin are hoping to partner Jonathan David. No other injuries reported.
Morocco
Morocco’s coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, has his squad in good shape. Chadi Riad went off against the Netherlands at 75 minutes, but he’s already back training and looks set to start. Redouane Halhal and Marwane Saadane stay ready as backups. Ismael Saibari—who just signed for Bayern Munich after the Dutch victory—leads the attack after scoring three times in the group stage and hitting the winning penalty last match. The rest of the starting eleven should look the same as last game.
Form
Canada
Canada’s win versus South Africa wasn’t just historic—it was relentless. They pressed in the final third 100 times in the first half alone, more than any team since 2010. South Africa’s keeper, Ronwen Williams, made sure Canada didn’t run away with it, but Eustaquio eventually broke through. In the group stage, Canada drew Bosnia-Herzegovina, beat Qatar, and lost to Switzerland. They’ve scored in six straight games, showing energy and discipline. But Morocco’s possession-heavy style will really put their defensive approach through a serious test.
Morocco
Morocco look as complete as any team this tournament. They battled Brazil to a 1-1 draw—only a flash of brilliance from Vinicius Junior kept them from the win. Strong victories against Scotland and Haiti followed, then the epic shootout against the Netherlands where Morocco completed 801 passes (only Spain have topped that in World Cup history). The Atlas Lions are riding a nine-match unbeaten streak. Saibari’s been electric—scoring in all three group games and nailing the clutch penalty last round. Morocco’s tough to break down, but teams overlook them at their own risk.
Predicted lineups
Canada (4-4-2): Crepeau; Johnston, Bombito, Cornelius, Laryea; Buchanan, Saliba, Eustaquio, Shaffelburg; David, Oluwaseyi
Morocco (4-2-3-1): Bono; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Saibari
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Canada and Morocco will be broadcast LIVE on Zee’s new Unite8 Sports network in India, which includes Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD. Additionally, the Canada vs Morocco match will be available for live streaming on the Zee5 website and app.
