Canada and Morocco are each making history on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but one team’s story might be ending Saturday.
The Canadian team is about to face its highest-ranked opponent up to now within the tournament, trying to keep its World Cup dreams alive as competition narrows to 16 remaining teams.
Morocco, currently sitting sixth in FIFA world rankings and currently on a 33-game winning streak, has broken many records this tournament, becoming the highest-scoring African nation in tournament history and setting a record amongst African teams for many World Cup victories with eight.
Their advancement from Group C was also just the third time an African nation has reached the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup.
Canada and Morocco last faced off against each other through the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Dec. 1, 2022, as Morocco took the 2-1 win in Doha, Qatar.
Canada forward Tajon Buchanan (11) tries to get his foot on a pass during first-half Group F World Cup soccer motion against Morocco on the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Dec. 1, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch has tipped his hat to Morocco’s play up to now, saying prior to Canada’s training session Wednesday that preparing for the match has been “like a gory, horrible nightmare.”
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“It’s like, I don’t want to observe them play. They’re too good,” he said.
Nonetheless, Marsch doesn’t consider the underdog Canadians ought to be counted out.
“We would like to be here and we expect to be here,” Marsch added. “So we all know that everyone’s going to put in writing us off and in that’s a chance. But in the long run, we’re focused on trying to essentially be our greatest for this match and deliver the perfect performance of our lives, and that can provide us a likelihood.”
Following Morocco’s shootout victory over the Netherlands Monday night, head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said that “Canada might be a tricky opponent for us.”
“We want to rest up, we want to come back back fresh. We should be telling ourselves, ‘Nobody will stop us.’”
Canadian Alphonso Davies got his first taste of this yr’s tournament in Canada’s Round of 32 matchup against South Africa, coming off the bench for the ultimate quarter-hour and sparking an instantaneous change of pace that led to Canada’s game-winning goal. Marsch has yet to substantiate Davies’ role in Saturday’s match.
Canada can be set to wear their all-black kits, which they’ve been undefeated in when worn within the tournament.
Kickoff is about for 1 p.m. eastern.
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