Morocco defeated the Netherlands in the Round of 32 via a penalty shootout, winning 3‑2 after the match ended 1‑1 after extra time. Morocco forced extra time by scoring a stoppage‑time equaliser and came from behind before prevailing in the shootout. Ismael Saibari scored the decisive penalty in the shootout, according to TribLive. Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui missed his penalty attempt, and Dutch substitute Justin Kluivert also missed, both reported by Dawn. Dawn added that goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen appeared to save Soufiane Rahimi’s penalty, but the ball crossed the line.

The victory made Morocco the first team into the quarter‑finals after previously beating co‑host Canada 3‑0, with Soufiane Rahimi scoring the third goal in that match, as confirmed by multiple sources. Dawn reported that Morocco’s next opponent after the Netherlands win was co‑host Canada.

Times of India reported clashes between Moroccan fans and Dutch police in The Hague after the match. The outlet also quoted captain Achraf Hakimi saying the win proves Morocco’s Qatar success was no fluke. TribLive noted that the Netherlands experienced its earliest World Cup exit.