Morocco stunned the Netherlands on Monday, prevailing 3-2 on penalties to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 last 16 after an absorbing round-of-32 encounter.
The Dutch looked set to progress after Cody Gakpo's goal, but Issa Diop rescued Morocco with a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser in Monterrey. Extra time failed to separate the sides. In the penalty shootout, Morocco, also known as the Atlas Lions, held their nerve, with Ismael Saibari netting the winning goal.
Cody Gakpo appeared to have fired the Netherlands into the next round when he found the net in the 72nd minute from Crysencio Summerville's assist. The goal prompted jubilant scenes on the Dutch bench, with teammates flooding onto the pitch to celebrate alongside an emotional Gakpo. The forward's tears reflected a deeply personal moment after he and partner Noa van der Bij recently shared the news that they had lost their unborn baby.
Morocco refused to surrender, drawing level in stoppage time through Issa Diop, who headed in a pinpoint delivery from Chemsdine Talbi. Extra time at Estadio BBVA produced little in the way of attacking quality, leaving penalties to decide the outcome.
Each team missed the target twice in the shootout. Yassine Bounou came up with a pivotal save against Crysencio Summerville, setting the stage for Ismael Saibari to fire home the winning penalty and send Morocco through with a 3-2 triumph.
Few penalty saves have been as eye-catching as Bounou's intervention against Summerville. The goalkeeper kept moving along his line before timing his movement perfectly, diving across to punch the effort clear without ever losing his upright stance. He expertly outwitted Summerville by narrowing the angle and forcing the winger into a predictable finish before making the crucial save. Ismael Saibari then calmly converted the decisive penalty to book Morocco's place in the next round.
Bounou emerged as Morocco's undisputed hero after producing a match-winning display in one of the most dramatic penalty shootouts in World Cup history.
Morocco's reward is a knockout clash against Canada. The teams are set to kick off the round of 16, with the match taking place at NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday. The match gets underway at 10:30 p.m. IST.
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