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. The victory marks a significant achievement for African football in this tournament. Meanwhile, 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. At the same time, Kenya's Junior Starlets took 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. In a separate development, Somali FIFA referee Omar Artan received a heroic welcome in Nairobi after being previously denied entry to the USA for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.





