Morocco secured a 4-2 victory over Haiti on June 24, 2026, at Atlanta Stadium, but the win was not enough to claim top spot in Group C as Brazil cruised past Scotland. The Atlas Lions finished second on goal difference, both teams on seven points, while Brazil took first place.
Early Setback for Morocco
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi made several changes to the lineup, including Redouane Halhal replacing Issa Diop in defense and Anass Salaheddine coming in for Noussair Mazraoui. Sofyan Amrabat made his first start of the tournament, and Ayoub El-Kaabi led the attack. However, these changes may have contributed to a shaky first half.
Haiti, already eliminated, pressed aggressively and took the lead in the ninth minute. Jean-Kevin Duverne beat Salaheddine and delivered a low cross that Yassine Bounou turned into his own net under pressure from Lenny Joseph.
Morocco Fights Back
Morocco created chances but missed early opportunities. Ismael Saibari squandered a golden chance in the 13th minute after Bilal El-Khannouss set him up. In the 30th minute, Achraf Hakimi's effort was saved by Johny Placide, and El-Kaabi's follow-up was also parried.
El-Khannouss's dribbling led to the equalizer in the 39th minute. His shot was parried by Placide into the six-yard box, where Hakimi bundled the ball over the line. However, Haiti quickly regained the lead when Wilson Isidor fired a thunderous strike past Bounou from range.
Second-Half Turnaround
Hakimi again proved pivotal, releasing a low cross that Saibari finished to become the first Arab player to score in all three group games at a World Cup. With his third goal, Saibari also became the all-time joint World Cup top scorer among Arab players.
In Miami, Brazil took a firm lead with two first-half goals from Vinicius Junior, making Morocco's hopes of finishing top slim. Brahim Diaz missed a chance in first-half stoppage time, but substitutes turned the game for Morocco.
Rahimi and Yassine Seal Victory
In the 70th minute, Soufiane Rahimi scored within minutes of coming on, controlling the ball and seeing his effort deflect into the net to put Morocco 3-2 up. In the 89th minute, Rahimi won the ball on the byline and set up fellow substitute Gessime Yassine for his maiden World Cup goal, sealing the 4-2 victory.
Brazil sealed their win with a goal from Matheus Cunha on the hour mark, and Neymar returned to the pitch as a substitute in the 76th minute. Group C ended with Brazil top on seven points, Morocco second on goal difference, Scotland third with three points, and Haiti without a point.
