ºÃÉ«tv fans celebrate after Canada defeated South Africa during a World Cup round of 32 soccer match, at FIFA Fan Fest in Vancouver, on Sunday, June 28, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi (12) attempts a bicycle kick on goal in front of Morocco's Neil El Aynaoui (24) during first half FIFA World Cup round of 16 soccer action, in Houston, Saturday, July 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Fans at FIFA Fan Fest react as Morocco defeats Canada to advance during the second half of their World Cup soccer match in Toronto on Saturday, July 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker
ºÃÉ«tv fans watch Canada play Morocco during a World Cup round of 16 soccer match, at Jack Poole Plaza, in Vancouver, on Saturday, July 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
Fans enjoy a performance by Kenzy prior to the start of Canada's World Cup soccer match against Morocco at FIFA Fan Fest in Toronto on Saturday, July 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker
Canada's historic run at the FIFA World Cup might be over, but it has left many ºÃÉ«tvs with that magic feeling that their men's national soccer team has left an indelible mark on the world's largest sporting stage.
Fans like Mexican-ºÃÉ«tv Rafael Ramirez and his wife, Yadira, lined up for almost four hours to get into an Amphitheatre theatre in East Vancouver to watch Canada lose three-nil against Morocco.
But the couple, like thousands of others wearing ºÃÉ«tv jerseys, also watched a performance that made them proud, as the team around coach Jesse Marsch and star players Jonathan David and Stephen Eustaquio held one of the best teams in the world to scoreless draw after the first half before conceding.
"We are very proud of the boys," Yadira Ramierz said. "We cannot take away from all the hard work and the dedication they did have. It wasn't this time. It might be next time."
Colin Paterson was hoping for a result this time around. The 31-year-old said he has been watching the team since he was young. This means the soccer fan hasn't had much to cheer about over the years.
When Canada was announced as a co-host of this year's tournament in 2017, it was ranked 120th in the world, which was an improvement from 122nd in the world in 2014.
But things have turned around in less than a decade as Canada qualified for the World Cup in 2022 after its first and only appearance in 1986.
On Saturday, the team was poised to take another step after winning its first knockout match against South Africa.
But Morocco was a different kind of opponent. Morocco entered the tournament sitting seventh in FIFA's rankings while Canada was No. 30.
"It's tough," Paterson says. "I'm disappointed, because I feel that they played so well. Maybe they could have gotten a result. But we were in the round of 16. I would have never expected that."
Canada advanced to game after beating South Africa to win the country's first ever knockout match at the World Cup.
Saturday's game against the North African team was tied nil-nil after one half.
Morocco opened the scoring in the 50th minute when Azzedine Ounahi's shot went past Canada's goaltender Max Crepeau.
Ounahi then scored his second goal in 82nd minute and Soufiane Rahimi scored his team's third goal deep into stoppage to seal his team's advancement to the quarterfinals, where they will play either Paraguay or France in a quarterfinal matchup in Boston on July 9.
This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published July 4, 2026.
The ºÃÉ«tv Press
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