North African powerhouse Morocco defeated Scotland 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thanks to the fastest goal of the tournament so far. Ismael Saibari scored the only goal of the match within just 71 seconds of kick-off.

This was Saibari’s second goal of the tournament, having also found the net against Brazil in a 1-1 draw.

More than 64,146 fans cheered on both teams at the stadium in Massachusetts, United States.

The 25-year-old, born in Spain and raised in Belgium, is reportedly on the verge of a $63 million transfer from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich. The difference in quality between the two sides was evident throughout the match.

Morocco played with fluency and maintained constant pressure on Scotland, who struggled to cope with their clever build-up play.

The proceedings clearly showed why Morocco is ranked fifth in the world while Scotland sits at 40th. With four points from two games, Morocco is now well placed to advance to the round of 32. The result was a major disappointment for Scottish fans, who had taken over Boston during the World Cup. However, their team rarely tested the Moroccan defence.

Scotland’s laboured 1-0 win over Haiti in their opening game at the same stadium last weekend – their first World Cup victory since 1990 – had given them hope of progressing beyond the group stage for the first time in their history.