2026 World Cup: Morocco Celebrates, but Achraf Hakimi Sparks Global Debate
Morocco has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup and can celebrate its feat of eliminating Canada, one of the tournament’s co-hosts. But alongside the congratulations for the 3-0 victory on the field, there is no shortage of controversy. The main controversy involves Achraf Hakimi, the former Inter Milan fullback and current PSG star, who was at the center of an incident that is sparking debate around the world.
The incident occurred around the 40th minute of play, with Canada and Morocco still tied at 0-0. In a match that was certainly tense but, up to that point, not particularly heated, Hakimi effectively sparked a massive brawl that significantly raised the intensity among the players on the field. As he sprinted down the wing, the former Inter player was tackled by his opponent Laryea, who managed to outrun him while covering for his goalkeeper Crepeau as he came off his line. With the play thwarted, the North African winger then shoved his opponent, sending him tumbling to the ground. This sparked a reaction from both players’ teammates, and referee Oliver struggled to restore calm. On that occasion, however, as many as four players were shown yellow cards. Among them was Jonathan David, a forward on the Juventus roster.
Despite the controversy, Morocco went on to dominate the second half, closing out the match with a decisive 3-0 victory. Azzedine Ounahi was the standout performer, scoring a brace: first, he converted a free kick delivered by Hakimi in the 50th minute, then he doubled the lead in the 82nd minute off an assist from Brahim Diaz. The final goal came as late as the 98th minute from Soufiane Rahimi, once again on an assist from the Real Madrid star, while Canadian goalkeeper Crepeau had desperately pushed up into the attack in an attempt to get his team back in the game.
For Canada, this elimination feels like a bitter blow, considering the historic run they’d had up to this point. The Canucks had already made history as the first national team to play an away game in a co-hosted World Cup—first in Los Angeles against South Africa and then again on the road in Houston. A scheduling quirk—set well before the group stage began—deprived Jesse Marsch’s team of home-field advantage at the very most critical moments of the tournament.
Among the players most eagerly anticipated in this World Cup’s litmus test—and now inevitably at the center of criticism—is none other than Jonathan David. The Juventus forward had the first chance of the match, only to be denied by Bono, and later squandered a free kick by sending his shot too high. It has been a World Cup that fell short of expectations for the Canadian, who will have to come to terms with an overall disappointing performance in the very tournament played on home soil.
Morocco, for its part, has confirmed itself as one of the tournament’s hottest teams and will face the winner of Paraguay vs. France in the quarterfinals. The Atlas Lions had already reached this round of 16 after eliminating the Netherlands on penalty kicks in the round of 32, in a match decided by misses from the penalty spot by Kluivert, Timber, and Summerville. For Hakimi and his teammates, this would be yet another confirmation of their unstoppable rise, following their historic World Cup semifinal appearance back in 2022 in Qatar.
The undisputed star of the evening, Hakimi carries with him the weight and prestige of an extraordinary season. The PSG fullback, named 2025 African Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football, won the Champions League last season—scoring the 1-0 goal in the final in Monaco — as well as the Ligue 1 title and the French Cup with the team coached by Luis Enrique. This list of achievements has definitively established him among the world’s best in his position, making his involvement in the incident that heated up the match in Houston all the more surprising.
