![Azzedine Ounahi of Morocco is thrown into the air by teammates during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between Canada and Morocco at Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium) on July 04, 2026 in Houston, Texas. [Jose Hernandez - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AA-20260704-41876320-41876318-CANADA_V_MOROCCO_FIFA_WORLD_CUP_2026_ROUND_OF_16-scaled-e1783204058303.jpg)
Moroccans at home and abroad celebrated on Saturday after their national team’s 3-0 victory over Canada in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston, sending the Atlas Lions into the quarterfinals, Anadolu reports. The win over Canada, one of the tournament’s three co-hosts alongside the US and Mexico, made Morocco the first African side to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in back-to-back tournaments. Fans waving Moroccan flags and chanting “Dima Maghreb” – meaning “Always Morocco” – flooded major streets and squares in Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakesh and Fez, while celebrations also erupted at the Houston Stadium. – ‘My heart will always be in Morocco’ Manal Elfakir, a Moroccan architect living in Istanbul, told Anadolu that […]
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