Sahin Demir
05 July 2026•Update: 05 July 2026
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.
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 she watched the match at a crowded cafe alongside Moroccan, Turkish and other football fans.
“So proud of this win! Once again, we’re through to the quarter-finals! Being the first African team to come this far is making us proud,” she said.
“The Atlas Lions never give up. No matter how far I am, my heart will always be in Morocco. Dima Maghrib!”
In Casablanca, Yassir Babennass, a former professional footballer, joined the celebrations and praised Morocco’s performance.
“Congratulations once again to our Moroccan national team,” he told Anadolu. “I think the team managed to regroup in the second half after intense pressure from the opponent. The goals were well-built and effective, with sharp reactions and fast counterattacks.”
“And once again, congratulations to all of us as a people, as a country, and as representatives of Africans and Muslims,” he added.
Morocco secured the victory with a dominant second-half display, scoring three times to book their place among the last eight.
The Atlas Lions also made history in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals before finishing fourth.
Morocco will face the winner of Saturday’s Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay, scheduled later in Philadelphia, in the quarterfinal on July 9.
