The Atlas Lions of Morocco have defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to reach the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
Ismael Saibari scored the last penalty to give Morocco a 3-2 shootout win after Yassine Bounou had saved the Netherlands’ fifth penalty from Crysencio Summerville at the Estadio de Monterrey on Tuesday.
Morocco had to come from behind to drag the match beyond normal time via a stoppage-time goal from Issa Diop after Cody Gakpo’s 72nd-minute opener looked set to be the decider of the match.
The result was the second upset suffered by European heavyweights in the last 32 after Paraguay had also dumped Germany out of the World Cup through penalties.
Morocco are ranked the sixth-best team in the world, ahead of the Oranjes in seventh, and the Atlas Lions demonstrated that slightly better form.
They created better chances and were almost ahead in the 20th minute when Neil al-Aynaoui’s header from an Acraf Hakimi corner forced a reflex save from Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Shortly, the Oranje goalkeeper was called into action again from a Hakimi shot, which he had to tip over the crossbar.
The proceedings then switched to the Netherlands’ way, as Micky van de Ven’s long-range shot had Bounou stretching to keep it out of his goal.
The breakthrough came in the 72nd minute. Cody Gakpo put the Netherlands ahead with a fiercely struck finish. The Liverpool forward, playing under immense personal grief following the tragic loss of his unborn child, was overwhelmed with emotion, pointing to the sky as his teammates consoled him.
With the Oranjes seemingly bound for the next round, Morocco threw everyone forward. In the 91st minute, the pressure paid off. Diop rose highest to meet a desperate cross, powering a brilliant header past Verbruggen to equalise and send the match into extra time.
Morocco completely dominated the ensuing 30 minutes of extra time. Verbruggen was forced into a sensational, match-saving stop to deny a clear breakaway from Soufiane Rahimi. However, neither side could break the 1-1 tie, forcing a dreaded shootout.
The penalty shootout transformed into an erratic battle of nerves, featuring multiple misses from both teams. After Teun Koopmeiners and Wout Weghorst converted for the Dutch, misses from Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber, and Crysencio Summerville proved costly. Bounou rolled back the years to stop Summerville’s decisive effort, mirroring his legendary penalty-saving antics from the 2022 World Cup.
The victory sparks wild celebrations among the travelling Moroccan support in Monterrey. The Atlas Lions will now face Canada in the round of 16.
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