Morocco Beat Scotland with Record-Fast World Cup Strike
Saibari’s 71-second goal seals a vital Group C win for Morocco over Scotland.
Morocco Beat Scotland with the Quickest Goal of the 2026 World Cup So Far
Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 after scoring the quickest goal of the 2026 World Cup so far.
Ismael Saibari scored after just 71 seconds, giving Morocco a big win in Group C.
Saibari beat Angus Gunn with a powerful early finish to score his second goal of this World Cup. He had also scored in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil last week.
Scotland pushed hard in the final stage of the match and had two penalty appeals turned down by the referee. But they could not find the equaliser, and Morocco moved above them in the group standings.
Ismael Saibari Delivers Another Stunning Goal
Does Ismael Saibari only score wonder goals?
We keep banging on about this but the standard of goals at the 2026 finals is frankly a joke. And Ismael Saibari seems to be having his own individual goal-of-the-tournament competition.
He drew first blood against Brazil with a lovely chip in Morocco’s first game — the recipient of a killer pass through midfield from Brahim Diaz — and the strike that opened the scoring against Scotland was better again, assisted by the same player.
Saibari and Diaz clearly understand exactly where they are in each other’s orbit. Scotland opened the door by leaving a dog leg in their defence (Grant Hanley deeper than everybody else in the back four) but Diaz timed a floated pass from the touchline nicely, keeping Saibari onside.
Saibari’s touch was deft, and his raking finish across Angus Gunn was too fierce to stop. It’s all the explanation you need for why Bayern Munich are in the process of buying Saibari from PSV. It isn’t often that a World Cup game has part of the crowd chanting ‘ole!’ by minute five.
Morocco Take Control in Group C
Morocco looked sharp from the first minute and made the most of their early chance. The fast goal gave them confidence and helped them control key moments of the match.
For Scotland, it was a difficult result after a late push in search of a goal. Still, Morocco stayed organised and held on for an important three points.
With players like Ismael Saibari and Brahim Diaz making the difference, Morocco continue to show why they are one of the teams to watch at the 2026 World Cup.
AI contributed to the creation of this article.