Morocco defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in the penalties in the Round of 32 match of FIFA World Cup 2026 at Estadio Monterrey after the game at ended at 1-1 in regulation and extra time.
Published: June 30, 2026, 12:04 PM IST
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Action from Morocco vs Netherlands FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match on Monday. (Photo: IANS)
Netherlands vs Morocco FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Morocco star Ismael Saibari’s mother couldn’t hold back her tears at the Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe after her son notched up the game-winning penalty after a chaotic shoot-out against the Netherlands in the Round of 32 match of FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday. Saibari scored the penalty which sent Morocco through to the round of 16 and condemned Netherlands to their earlier World Cup exit with a 3-2 margin after the game ended at 1-1 in regulation and extra time.
The shootout was level at 2-2 after four rounds, Moroccan keeper Yassine Bounou saved Dutch star Crysencio Summerville’s next penalty. Saibari then stepped up and notched up the winner for the African side past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who went in the other direction. The Moroccan midfielder then tore off his shirt and was mobbed by his teammates before going on hug his teary-eyed mother in the stands.
WATCH Ismael Saibari’s mother get emotional after Morocco win over Netherlands HERE…
Saibari’s mother couldn’t hold back the tears as her son celebrated with her after scoring the winning penalty to send Morocco through. Moments like these are priceless. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Be7X0uc4pa
— MC (@CrewsMat10) June 30, 2026
The Dutch had reached at least the Round of 16 in 11 previous World Cup appearances, including the quarterfinal in 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when Morocco made a breakthrough run to the semifinals. In this year’s 48-team expanded tournament, 32 teams reached the knockout stage for the first time.
Morocco will now face co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday at the NRG Stadium in Houston. In the second round of the shootout with Morocco trailing 1-0, Dutch keeper Verbruggen appeared to have stopped an attempt by Soufiane Rahimi, but the goalkeeper couldn’t secure the ball and back-heeled it into the net.
Earlier, Cody Gakpo scored in the 72nd minute for Netherlands to give the Dutch a crucial breakthrough. Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, recently announced that they lost their unborn child.
Morocco’s Issa Diop then leveled the game in the 91st minute. Born in France, with a Moroccan mother and Senegalese father, Diop chose Morocco this year and ended up as the ‘Player of the Match’ in the Round of 32 win vs the Netherlands. He represented France at U16, U19 and U21 levels before switching allegiance to Morocco in March 2026.
It was the second successive game of the FIFA Wolrd Cup 2026 to be decided with a penalty-shootout. Paraguay beat Germany on penalties earlier on Monday. Morocco and Netherlands had entered with the highest combined ranking of any Round of 32 match with the former at sixth in the world and the Dutch are seventh.
(How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India: Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website. Link: https://www.zee5.com/)
