Saturday’s action saw Morocco produce one of their best performances of the tournament by beating co-hosts Canada 3-0 in Houston, while France survived a physical battle against Paraguay in Philadelphia to claim a narrow 1-0 victory and keep their title ambitions alive.

At the NRG Stadium in Houston, Morocco once again proved that their historic run at the 2022 World Cup was no once-off as the Atlas Lions delivered a clinical performance against Canada.

Brahim Díaz. Photo: FIFA

The Canadians, who had enjoyed a memorable campaign, started brightly and looked to use the energy of their supporters to unsettle the North Africans. However, Morocco’s experience and composure on the biggest stage eventually came to the fore.

After a tight opening half, Morocco shifted gears after the break, with Azzedine Ounahi playing a starring role by scoring twice. The midfielder’s creativity and ability to control the tempo proved decisive, while Soufiane Rahimi added the finishing touch in stoppage time to seal a famous 3-0 victory.

It marked another major step forward for Moroccan football as they advanced to a second consecutive World Cup quarter-final, further strengthening their reputation as one of the most dangerous knockout teams in world football.

Later in the day at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, France were made to work extremely hard for their place in the last eight as they edged Paraguay 1-0 in a tense encounter.

The South Americans arrived with a clear plan to frustrate Les Bleus, defending deep and making life difficult for the French attacking stars. Paraguay’s organisation ensured there were few clear-cut opportunities, while the demanding conditions added another challenge.

However, when France needed inspiration, captain Kylian Mbappé delivered.

Kylian Mbappe scores his 7th goal at this World Cup to send France into the quarter-finals. Photo: FIFA

The superstar forward kept his cool from the penalty spot in the second half to score the only goal of the match, sending France into yet another World Cup quarter-final. It was another reminder of Mbappé’s ability to decide the biggest games when the pressure is at its highest.

The results have now set up a blockbuster quarter-final between France and Morocco – a repeat of their 2022 World Cup semi-final showdown.

The Round of 16 action continues on Sunday, with two mouth-watering fixtures on the cards.

Five-time world champions Brazil will face a dangerous Norway in New York/New Jersey, with all eyes expected to be on Brazil’s attacking flair against a Norwegian side that has shown throughout the tournament that they are capable of troubling anyone. Kick-off is at 22:00.

The second game of the day sees another massive clash as Mexico take on England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City at 02:00. The home crowd will provide a fiery atmosphere, but England will be determined to silence the hosts and continue their push for a long-awaited second World Cup crown.

With the tournament now reaching the business end, every mistake is costly and every moment of brilliance could be the difference between heartbreak and a place among the final eight.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg