Morocco defeats the Netherlands and continues to topple European giants in the 2026 World Cup

The Moroccan national team continued to write a new chapter of its achievements in the 2026 World Cup, after it ousted the Dutch national team on penalties (3-2), after the end of regular and extra time in a draw (1-1), to reserve a ticket to the round of 16 and confirm once again that it has become a difficult number in world football.

The Netherlands has become the latest victim of the “Atlas Lions”, who continued their remarkable series of results against European teams in the last two editions of the World Cup, after they had previously beaten Belgium, Spain and Portugal, and imposed a draw on Croatia, confirming that the Moroccan team’s success is no longer just a passing surprise, but rather the fruit of an integrated football project.

During the last eight matches that Morocco played against European teams in the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, it achieved three victories and three draws, two of which were decided on penalties in its favor, compared to only two defeats, in a clear indication of the narrowing differences with the major European continent.

After qualifying, the Moroccan national team players confirmed that the victory was well deserved. Captain Ashraf Hakimi said that the team maintained its identity even after the delay in the result, pointing out that the players did not lose confidence and continued the pressure until they returned in the match, before they clinched qualification thanks to the team spirit and the brilliance of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

For his part, Ayoub Bouadi expressed the group’s ambition to continue the journey, stressing that eliminating the Netherlands gives the players a great morale boost, adding that the team will continue to advance step by step, without ruling out the dream of competing for the World Cup title.

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In turn, Issa Diop praised the fighting spirit shown by the team, considering that confidence in Yassine Bounou’s abilities was a decisive factor in the penalty shootout, in addition to the tactical discipline that distinguished the “Atlas Lions” performance throughout the match.

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The Moroccan team also recorded remarkable numbers during the confrontation, as Nael El Aynaoui succeeded in completing134 successful passesThis is the second highest number in a single match during the 2026 World Cup, while Issa Diop’s late goal is among Morocco’s most late goals in the history of its participation in the World Cup. Ashraf Hakimi continued to confirm his position as one of the most prominent stars of the tournament after raising his score to30 touches inside the opponent’s penalty areaThis is the highest number for any Moroccan player in the history of the World Cup.

On the other hand, the Dutch team failed to maintain its lead despite having one of the strongest attacking lines in the tournament, and also lost for the third time in a row on penalties in the World Cup knockout rounds, after losing to Argentina in the 2014 and 2022 editions, and then to Morocco in the 2026 edition.

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After overcoming the Netherlands obstacle, the Moroccan team is preparing to face its Canadian counterpart in the round of 16, amid great ambitions to continue the journey and achieve a new historical achievement, at a time when the “Atlas Lions” have become one of the most respected and feared teams among the major international teams.

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Source:“My press”