Morocco booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties following a thrilling 1-1 draw in their Round of 32 encounter.
Ismael Saibari converted the winning spot kick after Yassine Bounou saved Crysencio Summerville’s penalty, sending Morocco through after a dramatic contest in which they had forced extra time with a stoppage-time equaliser.
Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui and Dutch substitute Justin Kluivert missed their attempts before Bart Verbruggen appeared to save Soufiane Rahimi’s effort, only for the ball to squirm underneath him and trickle over the line.
Quinten Timber then put the ball wide with the Dutch side’s fourth kick. Achraf Hakimi struck the post with the chance to seal victory before Saibari kept his nerve to send Morocco through.
The shootout capped a gripping encounter in Monterrey that swung repeatedly in both teams’ favour, with Cody Gakpo’s emotional second-half opener cancelled out by Issa Diop’s stoppage-time header before neither team could find a winner in extra time.
Thousands of Morocco supporters erupted at the final whistle in the last World Cup match to be played in Monterrey, while many local fans celebrated with them after backing the African side throughout the evening.
“We know this type of game, we know against who we play,” Hakimi said. “We have to be focused and be strong physically but also mentally.
“I want to say thank you for Mexico for the support, all the Moroccans that came to support us.”
Morocco fashioned the better chances before the break, with goalkeeper Verbruggen producing a series of outstanding saves to deny Ayoub Bouaddi’s close-range header and Neil El Aynaoui’s powerful effort.
The result highlighted Morocco’s fighting spirit and ability to perform under pressure. After trailing for most of the second half, they showed resilience to score late and held their composure in the shootout.
For Netherlands, it was a disappointing exit after controlling large periods of the game.Their inability to finish off the contest in regulation time and missed penalties ultimately proved costly.
Morocco will now carry renewed confidence into the Round of 16 after producing one of the most dramatic comebacks of the knockout stage.
