Morocco secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Scotland in their Group C clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Boston, taking a significant step toward the knockout stages.
The Atlas Lions made a dream start, finding the net just two minutes into the contest. Brahim Díaz delivered a superb pass to Ismael Saibari, who fired an unstoppable effort past the Scottish goalkeeper. Having also scored against Brazil in Morocco’s opening match, Saibari continued his fine form by netting after just 69 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup.
After the early breakthrough, both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. Morocco came closest to extending their lead in the 32nd minute when Bilal El Khannouss found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Scotland emerged from the break with greater attacking intent, yet Morocco remained the more dangerous side. Within the opening ten minutes of the second half, Saibari and El Khannouss both came close to scoring, only to be denied by the woodwork and Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
Scotland's best chance arrived in the 63rd minute when Ryan Christie unleashed a strike from outside the penalty area, but the ball narrowly missed the target and flew over Yassine Bounou's goal.
Despite pushing for an equalizer in the closing stages, Scotland failed to seriously test the Moroccan defense and were unable to register a shot on target. Morocco comfortably protected their slender advantage to claim all three points.
The result moves Morocco to four points after their opening draw against Brazil, putting them in a strong position to qualify from Group C. Scotland, meanwhile, remain on three points following their victory over Haiti in the first round and now face a decisive final-group match against Brazil.
