World Cup 2026: Morocco beat Netherlands on penalties to reach round of 16
The Moroccan team starts to celebrate after winning on penalty kicks the World Cup round of 32 football match between the Netherlands and Morocco in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, June 29, 2026.
Morocco defeated the Netherlands on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw following extra time in Monterrey to book their place in the World Cup round of 16. Cody Gakpo’s second-half opener looked set to send the Dutch through before Issa Diop headed home deep into stoppage time.
The Atlas Lions’ goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made the crucial save to block the Netherlands’ fifth penalty from Crysencio Summerville before striker Ismael Saibari stepped up to blast home the winning spot-kick that sealed a 3-2 shootout win.
The victory sends Morocco into a last 16 clash with Canada in Houston on Saturday.
An enthralling match had gone to extra time after Issa Diop had glanced in a dramatic equaliser for Morocco in the first minute of stoppage time as the Netherlands closed in on victory.
The Dutch had taken the lead midway through the second half with a goal from Cody Gakpo, playing just days after his partner had confirmed the death of the couple’s unborn son.
Liverpool forward Gakpo sank to the turf and appeared overcome with emotion as he was surrounded by team-mates in a prolonged group embrace.
But Morocco forced extra time when an unmarked Diop headed home from substitute Chemsdine Talbi’s cross in injury time.
Morocco had created the better chances of a fractious encounter, which saw players from both sides flying into tackles to test the patience of Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio.
The Atlas Lions almost took the lead on 20 minutes when Neil al-Aynaoui glanced an Achraf Hakimi corner goalwards only to be denied by a superb reflex save from Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Verbruggen was pressed into action moments later, this time doing well to tip a vicious strike from Hakimi over the bar.
The fierce nature of the contest was on full display midway through the half when Saibari was lucky to escape sanction after elbowing Jan Paul van Hecke in the face.
2-hour drama
Their best effort came on 44 minutes when Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven uncorked a ferocious shot from the edge of the area that was tipped over by Bounou.
Van Hecke continued to find himself in the thick of the action, and after bloodying his head in a collision in the penalty area, made his presence felt with a crunching tackle that upended el-Aynaoui just before half-time.
As the half ended Saibari just failed to connect with a cross that flashed across the Dutch goal before going behind.
The drama continued into an end-to-end second half, but appeared to have tilted in the Netherlands’ favour when coach Ronald Koeman brought on forward Wout Weghorst in a flurry of substitutions after the hydration break.
Weghorst made an immediate impact flicking on a long ball to send Summerville bearing in on goal. Summerville crossed to Gakpo, who hurled himself at the ball to score.
The Netherlands, superbly marshalled by Gakpo’s Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk, appeared to be heading for victory but Diop’s late header sent it to extra-time.
Morocco looked to have made the breakthrough when Soufiane Rahimi went through on goal in the 96th minute, only to be denied by a jaw-dropping save from Verbruggen.
The Netherlands held on for penalties but despite Morocco missing their first when El-Aynaoui hit the bar, the north Africans recovered to win.
Saibari’s shootout winner sends Morocco past the Netherlands, earliest World Cup exit for the Dutch
Ismael Saibari scored the decisive goal in a penalty shootout, and Morocco sent the Netherlands to its earliest World Cup exit, eliminating the Dutch 3-2 after a 1-1 draw on Monday night.
With the shootout tied at 2-all after four rounds, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a strong save of Crysencio Summerville’s attempt, batting it away with his left hand. Saibari then sent the winner into the low left corner as goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen went the other direction. The midfielder tore off his shirt and screamed with joy as he was mobbed by teammates.
Earlier in the shootout with Morocco trailing 1-0, Verbruggen appeared to have stopped an attempt by Soufiane Rahimi, but the goalkeeper couldn’t secure the ball and deflected it over the line with the back of his leg.
“We know when we do everything on the pitch, it’s God that gives something back to us as well,” Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said. “We give all the energy that we have on the field. Rahimi’s goal could have not been a goal, but it went in thankfully.”
The Netherlands had reached at least the Round of 16 in 11 previous World Cups, including a quarterfinal appearance four years ago in Qatar, when Morocco made a breakthrough run to become the first team from Africa to reach the semifinals. In this year’s expanded tournament, 32 teams reached the knockout stage for the first time.
Morocco moves on to face co-host Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Houston. The Atlas Lions previously beat Canada 2-1 in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
Morocco was on the front-foot for major stretches of the game Monday. The Netherlands instead focused on counterattacking.
“I think Morocco has gained everybody’s respect now,” said Ouahbi, who took over as head coach in March. “I saw (the Netherlands’ style of play) as a form of respect.”
Cody Gakpo scored in the 72nd minute for Netherlands. After the goal, which was assisted by Summerville, the Dutch bench ran onto the field to embrace the 27-year-old Gakpo, who broke down in tears. Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, recently announced that they lost their unborn child.
Morocco’s Issa Diop tied it in the 91st. Chemsdine Talbi sent a looping cross into the box from about 28 yards out on the left side and connected with Diop for a clean header that Verbruggen had no chance to stop.
Neither team had a strong scoring opportunity in 30 minutes of extra time at Estadio BBVA.
In the second half of extra time, Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman used one of his substitutions to bring on Justin Kluivert. Kluivert was one of three Dutch players to miss his penalty.
“The last substitution I made was to bring in Justin (Kluivert) because he’s one of the best at penalty shootouts,” Koeman said. “But he missed his penalty and that’s even more bitter for him and for us.”
It was the third consecutive time the Netherlands has been eliminated from the World Cup in a penalty shootout.
It was the second game of this tournament to conclude with a shootout. Paraguay beat Germany on penalties earlier Monday.
The teams entered with the highest combined ranking of any Round of 32 match. Morocco was sixth in the world and the Netherlands was seventh.
“We need to be telling ourselves that no one can stop us,” Ouahbi said. “Nobody is unbeatable. If we get things wrong, we’ll go home.”
Canada to face Morocco in Round of 16 at World Cup
Canada keeps historic World Cup run going with dramatic 1-0 win over South Africa
Stephen Eustáquio scores winner as Les Rouges make history with first knockout match win at men’s World Cup
Canada beats South Africa 1-0 in World Cup knockout game to advance to the Round of 16
Eustáquio celebrates Canada’s win. “We just kept believing, we just kept pushing … I thought it was an amazing goal. But when I shot, I felt everybody shot with me … everybody put a little more power on it and it went into the back of the net. “He tears up when asked about his family, saying everything he does is for them.
Canada’s Jonathan David, right, and Maxime Crépeau celebrate after the match.
Canada players celebrate their 1-0 victory over South Africa.
Canada will face Morocco in the Round of 16 at the World Cup after the North African giants defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in penalty kicks on Monday after the teams were tied 1-1 after 120 minutes in Guadalupe, Mexico.
It will mark the second straight World Cup featuring a showdown between Canada and Morocco.
In the meantime, Germany is heading home after getting beaten by Paraguay in the craziest World Cup game I have ever seen and I have watched quite some in my long life.
Game went to five penalty kicks and it was still tied. Then Paraguay took it at super penalty level.
‘Truly awful’ – German media reacts to World Cup exit to Paraguay as one man takes blame
Germany’s unexpected World Cup exit at the hands of Paraguay has prompted widespread criticism from sections of the German media, with much of the blame falling on one man in particular.
It was an evening to forget for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, who failed to put away their chances before Paraguay went on to secure a historic 4-3 win on penalties.
Germany dominated possession for much of the game, completing 719 passes compared to Paraguay’s 161. In fact, they registered 21 shots throughout and missed a handful of opportunities to wrap up the game.
After the full-time whistle, a frustrated Nagelsmann rued their lack of composure in front of goal. He also described the decision to rule out Jonathan Tah’s header in extra-time “a joke”.
But ultimately, his tenure has come under the spotlight following Germany‘s early exit from the tournament, with many German outlets mentioning Nagelsmann when discussing Monday’s disastrous result.
A poll on the Sky Sport Germany website asked whether the former Bayern Munich boss should keep his job and, in a damning result, 93 per cent of voters called for him to leave his post.
German publication Bild was also scathing in their assessment, describing the performance as “truly awful”, “slow” and “boring”.
Spiegel, meanwhile, called it the “decline of a once great football nation” and mentioned that the World Cup failure “bears the name Nagelsmann”.
A number of players were singled out by Sky Sport Germany, but once again, Nagelsmann’s future was questioned. “The end, however bitter it may have been, is no surprise. Therefore, things cannot continue as they are,” they added.
Nagelsmann fumes after Germany’s World Cup exit: ‘It is ridiculous’
Julian Nagelsmann was furious after Jonathan Tah’s extra-time goal was ruled out against Paraguay, before Germany suffered their first World Cup penalty shootout defeat.
Germany’s World Cup ended in anger, disbelief and another painful knockout failure.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side were beaten by Paraguay in the Round of 32 after a 1-1 draw and a dramatic penalty shootout in Boston. But for the German national coach, the defining moment came before the spot-kicks.
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
