Morocco Advances to World Cup Knockout Stage with Dramatic 4-2 Victory over Haiti

Morocco secured a 4-2 victory over Haiti in a Group C match on June 25, 2026, at Atlanta Stadium, advancing to the Round of 16 as the second-place finisher in their group. The North African side mounted a remarkable comeback against the Caribbean nation, which was making its historic return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974 after a 52-year absence.

Haiti took the lead twice during the match, first through an own goal by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the 10th minute when Lenny Joseph executed a spectacular back-heel after a cross from Jean-Kevin Duverne. Wilson Isidor restored Haiti's lead in the 43rd minute with a long-range strike into the upper corner. Morocco equalized through Achraf Hakimi in the 39th minute and again through Ismael Saibari's header at 45+1 minutes. The turning point came when substitutes Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine scored in the 78th and 89th minutes respectively to secure Morocco's victory.

Morocco finished Group C with seven points—level with Brazil on goal difference—but advanced as runners-up due to Brazil's superior goal differential of +6 compared to Morocco's +3. Brazil had defeated Scotland 3-0 in the other group match. Morocco will face the winner of Group F in the knockout round on June 30 in Monterrey, Mexico, continuing their quest after reaching the semifinal stage in 2022.

Despite the loss, Haiti celebrated a moral victory. The Haitians scored two goals—their first World Cup goals since 1974—and earned praise from their coach Sébastien Migné for proving their worthiness on soccer's biggest stage. Haiti concluded the tournament with three consecutive losses after opening with a 1-0 defeat to Scotland and then losing 3-0 to Brazil, which eliminated them from knockout contention. Haitian fans and officials expressed pride in the team's achievement of returning to the World Cup and scoring, with hope that the next appearance will not require another 52-year wait.