Monterrey, June 30 — Morocco reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 after a dramatic 3-2 penalty shootout win over the Netherlands at Monterrey Stadium on Tuesday, following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. The Atlas Lions held their nerve from the spot and will face co-hosts Canada in Houston on July 5.
The Netherlands broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute when Cody Gakpo finished from close range after a clever run and an off-balance touchback across the face of goal from Crysencio Summerville set him up. Gakpo’s goal gave the Dutch a late lead in a tight, tactical contest.
Morocco responded in stoppage time when central defender Issa Diop moved forward to head home substitute Chemsdine Talbi’s cross in the 91st minute, forcing extra time. The remainder of normal time and the additional 30 minutes produced few clear chances as both sides exchanged periods of control.
The tie was decided by penalties for the second straight round. Both teams missed one of their first two spot-kicks, converted their third, and missed the fourth, sending the shootout into sudden death. In the decisive moments, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved Crysencio Summerville’s attempt and Ismael Saibari calmly converted the decisive penalty to win it for Morocco.
Gakpo’s strike moved him to six World Cup goals for the Netherlands, making him joint-second on the country’s all-time World Cup scoring list behind Johnny Rep, who scored seven across the 1974 and 1978 tournaments. Morocco’s victory extends their impressive run at the tournament and hands them a high-profile last-16 meeting with Canada in Houston on July 5.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/fifa-wc-morocco-break-dutch-hearts-in-penalty-shootout-to-reach-last-16
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Publish Date: 2026-06-30 10:54:00
