Brahim Diaz and Morocco rewrite the history of African football at the World Cup
The Moroccan national team confidently dispatched Canada in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, claiming a resounding 3-0 victory. One of the standout heroes of the match was Brahim Diaz, who not only propelled his team into the next round but also set a historic milestone.
Against the Canadians, the midfielder provided two assists. With this feat, Diaz became the top African assist provider in World Cup history, surpassing all other players from the continent in number of assists on football’s biggest stage.
The victory over Canada allowed the "Atlas Lions" to set several historic records at once. Morocco became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarterfinals twice. Moreover, the Moroccans have now claimed their fourth win in World Cup knockout matches—matching the total number of all other African nations combined throughout the tournament’s history. Previously, Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, and Egypt each had a single knockout stage victory.
The 3-0 demolition of Canada was also historic—it’s the largest margin of victory ever recorded by a team outside Europe or South America in World Cup knockout stage history.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
