Morocco once again proved its resilience by coming from behind to eliminate the Netherlands in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the victory, Mohamed Ouahbi's side secured its place among the final 16 teams in the tournament.

The match was fiercely contested from the opening whistle, with both teams battling for control and creating limited clear-cut chances in the first half. Morocco threatened first through Ayyoub Bouaddi and Achraf Hakimi, but goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen produced a pair of excellent saves to keep the score level.

Morocco Responded When It Mattered Most

The African side came out stronger after halftime. Hakimi struck the crossbar early in the second half, but just as Morocco looked closest to scoring, the Netherlands broke the deadlock. In the 72nd minute, Cody Gakpo finished a pass from Crysencio Summerville to put the Dutch ahead.

Rather than folding under pressure, Mohamed Ouahbi made attacking substitutions that changed the game. One of them, Chemsdine Talbi, delivered a pinpoint cross deep into stoppage time for Issa Diop, who headed home the equalizer in the 90+1 minute to force extra time.

Bounou Delivers Again in the Shootout

Morocco continued to create the better chances in extra time, but Verbruggen made another crucial save to deny the Africans. The match ultimately came down to penalties, where goalkeeper Yassine Bounou once again rose to the occasion.

Missed spot kicks by the Netherlands, combined with the composure of the Moroccan players, proved decisive. Ismael Saibari converted the winning penalty to secure a 3-2 shootout victory and spark celebrations among the Moroccan fans inside Monterrey Stadium.

With the historic win, Morocco advances to face Canada on July 4 for a place in the quarterfinals, while the Netherlands, led by Ronald Koeman, exits the World Cup after seeing victory slip away in the closing moments.

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