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Morocco secured their place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night with a dramatic 4-2 comeback victory over Haiti in Group C, ending the tournament’s first-ever Haitian campaign without a point. The Atlas Lions, who had already qualified as group runners-up behind Brazil, twice fell behind to the plucky underdogs before late goals from Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine sealed their progression .
Haiti stunned Morocco by taking a 2-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes, with a deflected Hakimi strike in the 11th minute cancelling out an early Haitian opener before Ismaël Saibari restored parity just before half-time . The second half saw Morocco’s attacking depth tell, with Rahimi’s 78th-minute header—described by German outlet *Welt* as a “lucky deflection” —and Yassine’s stoppage-time finish sealing the win in Atlanta. Haiti, making their first World Cup appearance since 1974, depart without a point after three defeats .
Brazil, who had already topped the group with a 3-0 win over Scotland, finished level on six points with Morocco but advanced as group winners . The result sets up Morocco’s Round of 16 clash against one of the Netherlands, Japan, or Sweden, depending on results in other groups .
Morocco’s coach hailed his side’s resilience after their second consecutive World Cup comeback, stating they now possess “all the ingredients” to challenge for the title following their 2022 semi-final run . The victory in Atlanta capped a nervy evening for the Atlas Lions, who had twice been pegged back by Haiti’s spirited display. Haitian striker Pierre Cayard’s 126 km/h strike—famously predicted by his grandfather—was widely celebrated as the tournament’s most spectacular goal .
With Brazil and Morocco now through, Group C closes as one of the most unpredictable in the tournament, where underdogs Haiti’s historic debut ended in heartbreak but left a lasting impression.
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