Morocco has secured a spot in the World Cup quarter-finals, defeating Canada 3-0 in a decisive round of 16 match held in Houston on July 4, 2026.

• Morocco scored 3 goals against Canada.
• Key players for Morocco included midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, who scored twice, and substitute Soufiane Rahimi.
• This victory marks Canada's exit from the tournament as the first co-host to be eliminated.

The Junior Starlets have taken a significant step towards qualifying for the 2026 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup after securing a decisive 2-0 victory against South Africa's Bantwana in Pretoria.

• The Junior Starlets won 2-0 in the first leg match played on July 4, 2026.
• The Kenyan Junior Starlets, coached by Mildred Cheche, achieved this crucial away win.
• Key goals were scored by Faith Boke in the 25th minute and Brenda Achieng in the 70th minute.

Somali FIFA referee Omar Artan received a heroic welcome in Nairobi, Kenya, after being previously denied entry to the USA for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

• Omar Artan expressed confidence in officiating the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
• He was welcomed by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed and Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
• Artan, also the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men's referee of the year, pledged to partner with FKF to improve refereeing standards in Kenya.

Paraguay's coach Gustavo Alfaro declared his team "fought like lions" despite a 1-0 World Cup round of 16 defeat against France on July 4, 2026.

• France advanced to the quarter-finals against Morocco following a Kylian Mbappe penalty.
• This marked Paraguay's first World Cup appearance since 2010.
• Alfaro attributed the loss to "individual skill and a penalty given by VAR," stating France's football hadn't earned the win.