Morocco into last 16 after dramatic shoot-out win against Netherlands
· Yahoo Sports
Morocco have reached the World Cup last 16 after a dramatic 3-2 win in the shoot-out against the Netherlands on Monday following a 1-1 draw.
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Ismael Saibari scored the decisive goal as he fired into the bottom left corner, while goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen went the wrong way.
Morocco will now face co-hosts Canada on Saturday in Houston for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Cody Gakpo scored a very emotional opener for the Netherlands, just a few days after he and his partner Noa van der Bij announced that they lost their unborn son.
Gakpo decided to stay at the tournament despite the difficult moment in his personal life and broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute.
Wout Weghorst nodded a long ball from the goalkeeper into Crysencio Summerville's path. He went on a run, fell between the defenders but found Gakpo, who fired the ball into the net.
It looked like that would be enough to send the Dutch team to the last 16, but Morocco hit back and equalized in the first minute of stoppage time.
Captain Virgil van Dijk could only watch as Issa Diop headed Chemsdine Talbi's cross from the left.
Netherlands' Cody Gakpo (Down) celebrates scoring his side's first goal with teammates during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 soccer match between Netherlands and Morocco at Monterrey Stadium. Antonio Ojeda/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa