With thi, Morocco became the first African team to reach World Cup semifinals.
Youssef En-Nesyri’s towering header late in the first half had given first-time quarter-finalists Morocco a 1-0 lead at halftime.
En-Nesyri, who had twice headed over the crossbar earlier, leapt higher than both Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Ruben Dias to put Morocco ahead in the 42nd minute.
Portugal forward Joao Felix came close to opening the scoring on two occasions, forcing Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou into an early save before his strike in the 31st minute took a deflection and narrowly missed the target.
Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from Portugal’s starting lineup for the second straight match at the World Cup, coming on as a substitute early in the second half.
Portugal meanwhile struggled to break through the Moroccan defence, Bruno Fernandes coming closest with a shot off the bar shortly after Morocco’s goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench six minutes after the break but was unable to help his team avoid defeat, with Morocco coming out as the winner to seal a semi-final showdown with either England or France, who play later on Saturday.
Morocco’s Walid Cheddira was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession in extra time, meaning he will miss the semi-final.
Morocco will now face either France or England, who play later on Saturday night, in the semi-final.
It is a key moment in World Cup history, with an African nation finally advancing to the levels typically only reached by European or South American teams. Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) all reached the quarterfinals but got no further.
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