Morocco, Brahim Diaz: 'It's a dream to be in the top 8 again in the world'
Brahim Diaz starred with two assists as Morocco advanced to the World Cup Top 8 for the second time in a row with a 3-0 win over Canada.
Morocco have made their second consecutive quarter-final appearance in the Mundial 2026 run, further cementing their place at the pinnacle of world football. It is noteworthy that Lions of Atlas (Leoni dell'Atlante) achieved another great victory by defeating Canada 3-0 in the sixteenth stage (round of 16) fixture held in Houston.
The most talked about name in the match was Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz. He provides two decisive assists and turns the balance on the knees of the team. The first goal was followed by an assist to Azzedine Ounahi which led to the second goal; Then a close pass for Soufiane Rahimi made the match 3-0 final.
The team managed by coach Walid Regraghi is reminiscent of a great finish four years ago at Qatar 2022 thanks to a strong defense — reaching the semis was a historic moment for Morocco. This time however, the team was strengthened by the defense as well as the play of a creative player like Brahim Diaz.
After the match, Brahim Diaz expressed his happiness in an interview with FIFA's official channels: "This mondial life is a dream. It's really amazing to get out of Qunar, reach the quarters, and help the team with what I'm doing. But the most important thing is to be in the top N of this tournament." He added: "Our mentality was clear today. The first half was very difficult, but we were able to react. It's another light of the team's character."
As a theme, Diaz has become one of the new Moroccan symbols since his debut (March 2024) with the national team. His record at this Mundial has reached four assists in five matches so far: two against Canada, an assist for Ismael Saibari (in draw time) in the Brazil match, and an assist in the win over Scotland.
His teammates also praised Brahim's qualities and led him in post-goal celebrations. As Diaz put it: "They're really comfortable with me, showing me a lot of respect. They wanted to shine a special light on me after the goal — that really made me happy."
However, Diaz also honored the team's past achievements, fighting amid lively celebrations: "What was done in Qatar was extraordinary. Many of the players of the time are no longer in the team, they wrote history. We are in the quarters again and we will fight with all our might to continue this journey."