Morocco continues its rise among the world's elite after eliminating the Netherlands
The African team defeated the European side in a penalty shootout following a hard-fought match that ended in a 1-1 tie after regulation time and extra time.
Dutch goalkeeper Verbruggen remains on the ground as the Moroccan players celebrate their victory
On a dramatic night filled with blood, sweat, and tears, Morocco confirmed its status as an elite team by advancing to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties at the Monterrey Stadium.
"We’re unstoppable if we play the soccer we know how to play," emphasized Mohamed Ouahbi, Morocco’s coach, adding that "we have a mentally strong team, and I believe we’re going to go very far."
The bloodied faces of Jean Paul van Hecke and Ismael Saibari, a moving goal that Cody Gakpo celebrated in tears over the loss of the baby he and his partner were expecting, and a penalty saved with one hand by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou will remain as new iconic images in World Cup history.
A match destined for penalties
Just as predicted the day before, the match was decided on penalty kicks, which have become a curse for the Dutch. Their last three World Cup eliminations have come in this manner. In contrast, Moroccan goalkeeper Bono once again proved his penalty-saving credentials, just as he did at Qatar 2022 when he saved two penalty kicks against Spain in the round of 16.
By a twist of fate, the Oranje and the Atlas Lions crossed paths very early in this World Cup. And the crowd in Monterrey responded with excitement to the opportunity to close out the World Cup in this city with a clash between two thrilling teams. That said, at various points the local fans whistled and booed the Dutch.
Mexican fans have never forgotten 'No era penal' ('It wasn't a penalty'), the phrase that went viral in 2014 after the Clockwork Orange knocked El Tri out of the World Cup round of 16 in Brazil following Arjen Robben's controversial dive.
A heated start both in the stands and on the field
The game got off to a heated start, fueled by the 88°F heat and the players' combative attitude. In one confrontation, Van Hecke and Saibari got into a shoving match. Elsewhere, Brian Brobbey ripped the shirt off his marker, Chadi Riad.
Showing more creativity in the first half, Morocco came close twice with a header by Neil El Aynaoui and a shot by Achraf Hakimi. Both chances were made even more exciting by the saves of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Blood spilled on the field when Van Hecke suffered ahead injury after being kneed while joining the attack on a set piece. Morocco’s attacking play drew two more gasps from the crowd before halftime: a blistering shot by Azzedine Ounahi and a ball that agonizingly rolled across the goalmouth without Saibari being able to make contact.
Tears for Gakpo’s unborn son
The Atlas Lions returned spurred on by the drums and a repeated, intimidating chant of “Come on!” from their fans. And they came close to scoring with a shot by Hakimi that crashed off the crossbar. The frustration was evident on the Dutch players’ faces, including that of coach Ronald Koeman.
The tide turned in an instant. The Netherlands launched an unexpected counterattack off a clearance by Verbruggen. The ball reached the box, and Cody Gakpo scored to make it 1-0. Rather than celebrating the goal, the Dutch players—including those on the bench—rushed onto the field to comfort the forward, who, with tears in his eyes, recalled the loss of the baby he had been expecting just two days earlier.
The Netherlands failed to close out the match. Morocco didn’t crumble and tied the score at 1-1 with a thunderous header by Issa Diop. Extra time was inevitable, and during it, Verbruggen made one of the tournament’s greatest saves. Fresh on the field and with the ball responding perfectly to his touch, Soufiane Rahimi took a decisive shot, but the goalkeeper deflected the same ball twice—first with his hand and then with his leg.
The Dutch penalty-kick curse
The match went to penalties, just as expected the day before when the Dutch press reminded coach Ronald Koeman of the importance of practicing penalty kicks. Koeman and his captain Virgil van Dijk dismissed the need to practice penalty shootouts, even though the Dutch had been eliminated in this manner at the 2014 and 2022 World Cups.
And without having practiced penalty kicks, three Dutch players were unable to handle the pressure and missed: Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber, and Crysencio Sumerville. “Today wasn’t our day,” said Ronald Koeman, the Dutch coach.
Bono’s save paved the way for Saibari to open the door for the Atlas Lions to advance to the round of 16.
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