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The WC provided another miraculous moment on Monday night.
The Netherlands, a favorite to win the tournament after a years-long run, took the lead late in the game when Cody Gakpo pounced on a loose ball in the box and sent it into the net. But the lead didn’t last long as Morocco’s Issa Diop headed one behind the Dutch goalkeeper in stoppage time.
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Morocco’s Ismael Saibari reacts after scoring the winning penalty during the World Cup Round of 16 match between the Netherlands and Morocco in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, on June 29, 2026. (Ricardo Mazalan/Associated Press)
Morocco and the Netherlands went to penalties. Morocco’s Ismael Saibari scored the winning penalty to give Morocco the 3-2 win at the stage and advance the team to the round of 16.
“We know that when we do everything on the field, it is God who also gives something back to us,” Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said after the match. “We give all the energy we have on the pitch. Rahimi’s goal could not have been a goal, but fortunately it went in.”
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Dutch players react after the World Cup Round of 16 match against Morocco in Guadalupe near Monterrey, Mexico on June 29, 2026. (Ricardo Mazalan/AP)
The Dutch had reached at least the round of 16 in the past 11 World Cups, including a quarter-final appearance in 2022 in Qatar. It was the same year that Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
Morocco will face Canada in the round of 16 in Houston on Saturday. Morocco defeated Canada 2-1 in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup.
“I think Morocco has got everybody’s respect now,” Ouahbi said. “I saw (Holland’s playing style) as a form of respect.”
It was the latest surprise knockout of the World Cup.
The Moroccan team celebrates after winning on penalties in the World Cup Round of 16 match against the Netherlands in Guadalupe near Monterrey, Mexico on June 29, 2026. (Sofia Yaker/AP Photo)
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Paraguay defeated Germany after a controversial call to overturn a German goal late in their match.
