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Casablanca – Morocco now account for 50% of all African victories in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage history, according to statistics platform Opta.
The Atlas Lions’ 3-0 victory over Canada in the Round of 16 marked Morocco’s fourth knockout win at a World Cup, extending their lead over every other African nation in tournament history.
Opta shared the statistic shortly after Morocco secured qualification to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Morocco now account for 50% of all African knockout stage victories in FIFA World Cup history (4/8),” the platform wrote.
The remaining four victories are shared between Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, and Egypt, each with one knockout-stage win.
Morocco’s total includes victories across two separate World Cups, underlining the consistency of the country’s rise on football’s biggest stage.
The Atlas Lions first made global history at Qatar 2022 when they became the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semifinal. During that run, Morocco defeated Spain on penalties before eliminating Portugal in the quarterfinals.
Four years later, Morocco have once again reached the last eight, this time under head coach Mohamed Ouahbi.
Their latest victory against Canada also showcased the depth of Morocco’s current generation, with Azzedine Ounahi scoring twice and Soufiane Rahimi adding a third goal in a dominant performance.
The Opta statistic arrives amid renewed international discussions surrounding Morocco’s football project, which combines diaspora stars with locally developed players from the Botola Pro league and national academies.
Morocco will now prepare for a quarterfinal showdown against France as the Atlas Lions continue adding new milestones to African football history.
