Potentially just four years ago, and most certainly 10 years ago and beyond, a matchup of Canada vs. Morocco at a World Cup would not have seemed like much of a possibility, much less brought much excitement to a neutral. Canada made the 2022 World Cup after failing to qualify for the previous seven, but times have changed. The North Americans find themselves in the enviable position of co-hosts despite having to play the rest of their games in the United States, their level of quality increasing each year, and the home-field advantage in the group stage has made Saturday’s matchup in the round of 16 with Morocco possible.But just as Canada have improved over the last six to 10 years from regional underachievers to making noise at the World Cup, Morocco’s transformation has been unmatchable on the world stage, going from African afterthoughts to potential powerhouse. After failing to qualify from 2002 to 2014, the Atlas Lions went out in the group stage in 2018 and shocked the world with their semifinal run in 2022. Couple that with their excellent form, yet controversial win in the African Cup of Nations 2025 (where Senegal forfeited as a result of leaving the field) as well as their U-20 team winning the U-20 World Cup, they have arrived and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. The threat that they pose, their elite chemistry, high-pressing intensity and incredible player recruitment and development have Canada’s American coach Jesse Marsch well aware of the battle his team are facing.”Morocco is a team that has literally zero weaknesses,” Marsch told the media after the game, while describing the time watching their film as a “gory, horrible nightmare.””We have to try to be good at the things that we care about and that we are good at.”To win, Canada will need to play their best game in a long time, and the display of just getting by South Africa in the round of 32 won’t nearly be enough. The two teams met at the 2022 World Cup with Morocco winning 2-1. Since then, Canada have steadily improved, but Morocco have gone from a team you’d be happy to be grouped with to a legitimate contender to win it all.”We’re going to need to handle the difficulty of what Morocco is going to throw at us at every moment,” Marsch reported. How to watch Canada vs. Morocco
Date: Saturday, July 3 | Time: 1 p.m. ETLocation: NRG Stadium — Houston, TexasTV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: Canada +240; Draw +460; Morocco -135
Canada vs. Morocco predicted starting lineups
Canada: Maxime Crepeau; Richie Laryea, Derek Cornelius, Moise Bombito, Alistair Johnston; Alphonso Davies, Stephen Eustaquio, Nathan Saliba, Tajon Buchanan; Cyle Larin, Jonathan David
Morocco: Yassine Bono; Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad, Noussair Mazraoui; Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui; Brahim Diaz, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss, Ismael Saibari
Canada vs. Morocco pick, prediction
This Morocco team has proven that 2022 was no fluke. That semifinal run has been followed up by outplaying Brazil and defeating the Netherlands. Here, they take care of Canada without too much trouble. Pick: Morocco 2, Canada 0
Golazo 48 Nations: Follow the World Cup all summer long
Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament.
Each day begins with Morning Footy, setting the stage with the recent news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, Golazo Matchday and Golazo Matchnight deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of USMNT matches with the Call It What You Want team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups.
The day wraps with Scoreline, a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel.
