The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

4:40 p.m.

Where was Alphonso Davies? Coach Jesse Marsch provided more details after Canada’s captain remained on the bench in the loss to Morocco. Marsch says Davies had been on a linear path in his recovery from a hamstring injury until he “felt a little something” two days ago. An MRI yesterday came back clear, but Davies still didn’t feel right when he woke up this morning. Marsch says Davies was so eager to play that he tried warming up at halftime, but Canada decided not to risk aggravating the injury.

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4:30 p.m.

Canadian soccer fans say they are proud of the men’s national team despite its World Cup ending. Fans at the official watch party in Vancouver applauded after the final whistle, while supporters praised Canada for reaching the knockout stage for the first time at a men’s tournament. Mexican-Canadian Rafael Ramirez and his wife, Yadira, say they are proud of how far the team has come. Yadira says the players have shown the world that Canada belongs on soccer’s biggest stage.

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4:18 p.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he’s feeling “nothing but pride” after Canada’s effort in a 3-0 loss to Morocco. Canada earned its first-ever point, win and knockout-stage appearance at a men’s World Cup this summer. Carney called it an “incredible run and a sign of what’s to come” while thanking all the fans who showed up in support of the co-host nation.

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3:34 p.m.

Canada captain Alphonso Davies did not play in the tournament-ending loss to Morocco after making his first appearance in the round of 32 win over South Africa. Head coach Jesse Marsch said Davies underwent an MRI on his injured hamstring yesterday that came back clear, but the star wingback did not feel right when he woke up this morning, according to TSN.

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3:27 p.m.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch said he was proud of his team’s effort despite the 3-0 loss to Morocco. “We were the much better team in the first half. We were unlucky not to get the lead,” he told TSN after the game. Marsch added that “Canada is a different nation” after the team’s World Cup run and said the next step is getting into these moments more often and finding ways to succeed.

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3:04 p.m.

Canada is out of the World Cup. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice, and Soufiane Rahimi added a late insurance marker as Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in the round of 16.

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2:51 p.m.

Canada captain Alphonso Davies is staying on the bench. Coach Jesse Marsch used his final regulation-time substitutions to bring on Jayden Nelson and Jonathan Osorio with Canada trailing Morocco 2-0 in the 87th minute. Davies, nursing an injured hamstring, has made one appearance in the tournament.

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2:46 p.m.

Azzedine Ounahi doubles Morocco’s advantage with his second of the match in the 82nd minute, firing a shot into the top right corner on the counterattack to make it 2-0 over Canada.

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2:44 p.m.

Canada’s Jonathan David missed a great chance to equalize, chipping a free kick from the edge of the box over the net in the 78th minute.

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2:27 p.m.

Striker Cyle Larin enters as a substitute for Tani Oluwaseyi in the 63rd minute with Canada trailing 1-0. Larin scored the equalizer in Canada’s 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the group-stage opener.

2:13 p.m.

Azzedine Ounahi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute to give Morocco a 1-0 lead over Canada. Ounahi slotted a shot from outside the box into the bottom-right corner after a pass from Achraf Hakimi on a free kick.

Centre back Luc De Fougerolles missed a tackle to set up the free kick, earning Canada’s third yellow card.

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2:07 p.m.

Canada captain Alphonso Davies is warming up on the sidelines as the second half gets underway in Houston. Davies, coming off a hamstring injury, made his tournament debut when he came on in the second half of Canada’s 1-0 win over South Africa in the round of 32.

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1:55 p.m.

Moroccan fans outnumber Canada’s supporters in the stands, but the Canadians are making their presence felt with chants and cheers. There are some famous faces rooting for Les Rouges, including hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who was spotted in the stands. Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has said he regularly gets texts from Gretzky asking about the team.

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1:52 p.m.

Canada and Morocco are locked in a 0-0 tie heading into halftime in their round-of-16 match in Houston. Canada dominated the early play in a chippy first half, with six yellow cards handed out — four to Morocco and two to Canada.

1:44 p.m.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and Canada wingback Richie Laryea received yellow cards in the 40th minute as tempers flared between the two sides. Hakimi pushed Laryea to the ground while pressing. Laryea then confronted Hakimi in front of the referee.

Canada striker Jonathan David received another yellow card minutes later when he took down Brahim Diaz on the break, before Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi was booked for a missed challenge on Ali Ahmed. Redouane Halhal and Bilal El Khannouss have also been booked with a yellow cards.

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1:30 p.m.

Red jerseys dot the stands as Canada takes on Morocco, with expatriates and adopted fans among the supporters. Calen and Kelly Chellew make the trip from Baton Rouge, La., after buying tickets before the matchups were even set. “It was fate,” Kelly says, while Canadian-born Calen says he’s thrilled to see Canada reach the knockout stage for the first time. Hugo Berlanga, a San Antonio resident, is wearing a black Canada jersey after spending two years living in Halifax. “It’s just the love I have for the country,” he says.

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1:23 p.m.

Morocco has subbed off star attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari in just the 22nd minute after an apparent injury. A major scoring threat, the new Bayern Munich player has three goals in the tournament. Soufiane Rahimi enters the match to replace him.

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1:10 p.m.

A great chance for Canada. Canadian striker Tani Oluwayseyi moved past the defence in the 10th minute but had his strike denied by Morocco keeper Bounou, keeping the score 0-0.

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1 p.m.

Game on! Canada and Morocco have kicked off in Houston with a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals up for grabs. It’s the Canadian men’s team’s first-ever match at this stage of the tournament after downing South Africa 1-0 in the round of 32. Morocco edged the Netherlands in a penalty shootout.

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12:15 p.m.

A roar bellowed from the crowd in Houston as Morocco ran out onto the field for warm-ups. Moroccan fans are also donning red for the game, but their cheers made it clear that much of the stadium is supporting the Atlas Lions.

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12:10 p.m.

Canada has taken the field at Houston Stadium for warm-ups ahead of their round-of-16 matchup against Morocco. Audible cheers came from fans in the stands wrapped in large Maple Leaf flags, and players clapped in appreciation as they ran out.

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11:40 a.m.

Canada’s players took to the field in Houston ahead of warm-ups, including injured midfielders Ismaël Koné and Marcelo Flores. The athletes waved to loved ones in the stands and used their phones to take photos and videos of the massive stadium, usually home to the Houston Texans.

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11:35 a.m.

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch once again switched up his starting lineup, giving midfielder Niko Sigur his first-ever start in a World Cup game. Marsch also opted to go with defenders Moïse Bombito and Luc de Fougerolles, and brought midfielder Ali Ahmed into the initial 11.

11:30 a.m.

We’re 90 minutes from kickoff in Houston as Canada takes on Morocco in the World Cup round of 16. The two sides meet after Canada downed South Africa and Morocco edged the Netherlands in the round of 32. The 30th-ranked Canadians are underdogs against seventh-ranked Morocco, which reached the tournament semifinals four years ago. Later, star-studded France faces Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium in today’s only other match.

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11:15 a.m.

Fans filtered into Houston Stadium, many clad in the maroon and white Morocco jerseys. A smattering of Canadian supporters wore flags as capes or Canada jerseys. Other attendees sported the red and white striped jerseys of the American team.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

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