Soccer
Canada out in the round of 16: Where does Jesse Marsch's team go from here?
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It's the end of the road for Canada at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And that's OK.
The Canadians were second-best to Morocco in their round of 16 meeting in Houston on Saturday, losing by a 3-0 scoreline that somehow flattered the victors but also seemed like a fair result.
It came after a first half in which Canada dominated, holding the Moroccans to just one shot of any kind over the first 45 minutes and forcing a number of saves out of Montreal-born goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Yet despite putting together arguably their best half of soccer under head coach Jesse Marsch, the Canadians didn't have anything to show for it at halftime.
The teams were knotted 0-0, and Morocco were allowed to go into the changing rooms knowing that they'd have to do something different to not get themselves embarrassed against massive underdogs.
And the Atlas Lions did just that, pushing the pace and forcing mistakes out of a Canadian team that had been virtually flawless up to that point. The first goal came in the 50th minute off a set play, with Azzedine Ounahi scoring from a well-placed, low drive from outside the box on Morocco's first shot on target.
Then Ounahi struck again in the 82nd minute, with Soufiane Rahimi adding the team's third in stoppage time — both late goals coming off counterattacks as the Canadian threw bodies forward in a futile attempt to get back into the match.
But it wasn't meant to be for the Canucks, ranked 30th in the world and taking on the seventh-ranked side. For the second straight World Cup, Canada exited after facing Morocco, losing both times despite generating a higher expected goals (xG) in each match.
That they made it into the last-16 largely without the services of their best player, Alphonso Davies, is a testament to the depth that's been rising to the surface in recent years. Canada also lost their most influential midfielder, Ismael Koné, to a devastating injury 1.5 games into this tournament.
Then there's Moise Bombito, perhaps the fastest centre-back on the planet, who slowly worked his way back into the team over the past few weeks after recovering from a broken leg suffered at the beginning of the season with club side OGC Nice. Bombito's importance to his national team cannot be overstated, and although it was good to see him back on the pitch for each of Canada's two knockout games, it's obvious to everyone who has seen him at his best that the 25-year-old is still working his way back to top fitness.
For a burgeoning football country, Canada still cannot afford to lose three of the squad's top players, and the absence of Davies and Koné was felt against the best side they have faced in this tournament. The floor has certainly been raised, but no one can argue that Canada's ceiling was noticeably lowered without their top-end talent.
And that's where the work needs to continue. With Canada eager to rub shoulders against elite sides like the Moroccans and truly compete, the floor will need to keep rising. Not only that, but the top end of the squad also needs to grow and improve, so that a Davies absence, Koné injury, Bombito recovery or Jonathan David slump won't be as harmful.
Experience will help as well. This World Cup, along with the magical run to the 2024 Copa America semi-finals, will serve to boost Canada in future tournaments, with battle-hardened players in no danger of being overawed by any occasion.
Most of all, winning will help. Despite their meteoric rise, the Canadians have still yet to claim any recent silverware in their home region, CONCACAF, after some close calls. The next four years will need to be about qualifying for the 2030 World Cup and winning trophies. A championship mentality could be the difference between simply outplaying the likes of Morocco for long stretches and actually competing with them.
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