Round of 16 matches set for Canada-Morocco and Paraguay-France at 2026 World Cup
Saturday's Round of 16 features Canada versus Morocco in Houston and Paraguay against France in Philadelphia, with winners advancing to the quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup moves into its Round of 16 on Saturday, July 4. In Houston, Canada will face Morocco at 1 p.m. ET on Fox, while Philadelphia will host the clash between Paraguay and France at 5 p.m. ET, also on Fox. The Canadian side, coached by Jesse Marsch, earned its first knockout-stage victory in its third tournament appearance with a 2-0 win over South Africa in the previous round. Morocco advanced after defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, having finished fourth in the 2022 edition. The winner of the Canada-Morocco match will meet either Paraguay or France in the quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Thursday.
France, the 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up, entered the Round of 16 after four consecutive wins, scoring 13 goals while conceding two. Their squad includes forwards Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé. Paraguay, after losing its opening game to the United States, secured third place in the group stage and progressed by beating Germany in a penalty shootout.
"We are proud of the progress our team has made and look forward to the challenge ahead," said Jesse Marsch, head coach of Canada.
"Our focus is on executing our game plan and giving our best against a strong opponent," said the spokesperson for the Moroccan Football Federation.
"France aims to continue its strong performance and reach the later stages of the tournament," said a representative of the French Football Federation.