Morocco defeats Netherlands to reach World Cup round of 16

Morocco eliminated the Netherlands 3‑2 after extra time to claim the final spot in the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The match was level at 1‑1 after regular time, with Morocco’s Shemseddine Talbi opening the scoring and Dutch forward Cody Gakpo equalising. In the dying minutes of extra time, Isa Diop headed home the equaliser for Morocco, and the team held on thanks to goalkeeper Yassin Bounou’s crucial saves, including a decisive stop in the penalty shoot‑out.

The victory marks a historic achievement for the North African side, which has become one of the tournament’s dark‑horse teams, and sets up a last‑16 clash against Canada. The win also ended the Netherlands’ campaign, highlighting the tactical shift under coach Ronald Koeman and the resilience of the Moroccan squad under coach Mohamed Wahbi.