Key Points
- Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Estadio Monterrey.
- Issa Diop's stoppage-time equalizer canceled out Cody Gakpo's opener.
- Ismael Saibari converted the decisive spot-kick in the shootout.
- Morocco advances to face Canada in the Round of 16.
Morocco reached the 2026 World Cup Round of 16, beating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Estadio Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.
Cody Gakpo put the Netherlands ahead late in normal time before Issa Diop equalized in stoppage time to force extra time, Al Jazeera reported. With the match still level after 120 minutes, it went to a shootout, where Morocco prevailed 3-2 and Ismael Saibari scored the winning penalty.
For Morocco, this reads as continuity rather than surprise. The Atlas Lions are the standard-bearers of a record nine African nations in the round of 32, and as the semifinalists of 2022 they carry the weight of a continent that has never reached a World Cup final. The level was already there in the group stage, where Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil at MetLife. Morocco and its fellow African contenders will next gather on home soil at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, now set for June 19 to July 17, 2027 across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Next, Morocco meets Canada, a 1-0 winner over South Africa, in the Round of 16.
Source: Al Jazeera.
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