France and Morocco Advance to Quarterfinals After Round-of-16 Victories

France and Morocco booked their places in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, setting up a rematch of the 2022 semifinal. France needed a second-half penalty from Kylian Mbappé to overcome a resilient Paraguay 1-0, while Morocco cruised past co-hosts Canada 3-0 with a double from Azzedine Ounahi.

France edges Paraguay

Paraguay frustrated France with a compact defensive setup, limiting Les Bleus' attacking threats for over an hour. "Creo que sabíamos qué tipo de partido íbamos a tener… demostramos que somos un equipo que sabía jugar al fútbol ofensivo, pero si hay que meter las manos en la mierda, nos vamos a meter las manos en la mierda," Mbappé said after converting the decisive penalty in the 70th minute Source: infobae. The win was gritty rather than brilliant, with France struggling to break down Paraguay's five-man defense Source: excelsiormx.

Morocco dominates Canada

Despite a slow start and an early injury to star striker Ismael Saibari, Morocco took control in the second half. Azzedine Ounahi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute from a clever set piece, then added a second in the 82nd minute on a counterattack initiated by Brahim Díaz Source: elmundoes. Sousfiane Rahimi completed the 3-0 rout in stoppage time. "Tuvimos dificultades para sacar el balón jugado desde atrás… En la segunda parte, el cuerpo técnico nos dio soluciones," Ounahi acknowledged Source: elmundoes. Canadian coach Jesse Marsch insisted his side were the better team for long spells: "Fuimos el mejor equipo en la primera mitad y al inicio de la segunda" Source: excelsiormx.

Quarterfinal rematch

France and Morocco will meet on July 9 in Boston, echoing their 2022 semifinal which France won 2-0. Morocco, the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022, will seek revenge, while France aim to continue their title defense. "Es un sueño estar aquí, en cuartos de final y ayudar al equipo," said Brahim Díaz, who provided two assists against Canada Source: elmundoes.