Morocco Eliminates Netherlands on Penalties in World Cup 2026

A team that reached the World Cup semifinals just four years ago—knocked out in the group stage. It happened Monday night in 2026, and Morocco were the ones to do it.

The Netherlands fell to Morocco 3-2 on penalties after 90 minutes ended level at 1-1. This marks the Dutch’s earliest World Cup exit since the early 2010s, snapping a run of 11 straight tournaments where they’d made at least the round of 16. They’d been to the quarterfinals four years back, but the group stage proved too high a hurdle this time.

Cody Gakpo, 27, had briefly put the Netherlands ahead with a 72nd-minute strike, set up by Crysencio Summerville. Morocco answered before full-time, dragging the match to a shootout. That’s where it unraveled for the Dutch: Yassine Bounou, Morocco’s goalkeeper, denied Summerville with a sharp save, pushing the ball away with his left hand. Ismael Saibari buried the winner for Morocco, ending the Netherlands’ tournament.

For Morocco, the win is a strong statement. They’d also reached the semifinals four years earlier, and this penalty victory keeps their World Cup hopes intact.