Saibari's shootout winner sends
Morocco past the Netherlands, earliest World Cup exit for the Dutch
[June 30, 2026]
By ETHAN WILCOX
GUADALUPE, Mexico (AP) — Ismael Saibari scored the decisive goal in
a penalty shootout, and Morocco sent the Netherlands to its earliest
World Cup exit, eliminating the Dutch 3-2 after a 1-1 draw on Monday
night.
With the shootout tied at 2-all after four rounds, Morocco
goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a strong save of Crysencio
Summerville's attempt, batting it away with his left hand. Saibari
then sent the winner into the low left corner as goalkeeper Bart
Verbruggen went the other direction. The midfielder tore off his
shirt and screamed with joy as he was mobbed by teammates.
Earlier in the shootout with Morocco trailing 1-0, Verbruggen
appeared to have stopped an attempt by Soufiane Rahimi, but the
goalkeeper couldn’t secure the ball and deflected it over the line
with the back of his leg.
“We know when we do everything on the pitch, it’s God that gives
something back to us as well,” Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi
said. “We give all the energy that we have on the field. Rahimi’s
goal could have not been a goal, but it went in thankfully.”
The Netherlands had reached at least the Round of 16 in 11 previous
World Cups, including a quarterfinal appearance four years ago in
Qatar, when Morocco made a breakthrough run to become the first team
from Africa to reach the semifinals. In this year's expanded
tournament, 32 teams reached the knockout stage for the first time.
Morocco moves on to face co-host Canada in the Round of 16 on
Saturday in Houston. The Atlas Lions previously beat Canada 2-1 in
the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
Morocco was on the front-foot for major stretches of the game
Monday. The Netherlands instead focused on counterattacking.
“I think Morocco has gained everybody’s respect now,” said Ouahbi,
who took over as head coach in March. “I saw (the Netherlands’ style
of play) as a form of respect.”
Cody Gakpo scored in the 72nd minute for Netherlands. After the
goal, which was assisted by Summerville, the Dutch bench ran onto
the field to embrace the 27-year-old Gakpo, who broke down in tears.
Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, recently announced that they
lost their unborn child.
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Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen (1) allows a goal during a
penalty shootout at the end of the World Cup round of 32 soccer
match between the Netherlands and Morocco in Guadalupe, near
Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Morocco’s Issa Diop tied it in the 91st. Chemsdine
Talbi sent a looping cross into the box from about 28 yards out on
the left side and connected with Diop for a clean header that
Verbruggen had no chance to stop.
Neither team had a strong scoring opportunity in 30 minutes of extra
time at Estadio BBVA.
In the second half of extra time, Netherlands head coach Ronald
Koeman used one of his substitutions to bring on Justin Kluivert.
Kluivert was one of three Dutch players to miss his penalty.
“The last substitution I made was to bring in Justin (Kluivert)
because he’s one of the best at penalty shootouts,” Koeman said.
“But he missed his penalty and that’s even more bitter for him and
for us.”
It was the third consecutive time the Netherlands has been
eliminated from the World Cup in a penalty shootout.
It was the second game of this tournament to conclude with a
shootout. Paraguay beat Germany on penalties earlier Monday.
The teams entered with the highest combined ranking of any Round of
32 match. Morocco was sixth in the world and the Netherlands was
seventh.
“We need to be telling ourselves that no one can stop us,” Ouahbi
said. “Nobody is unbeatable. If we get things wrong, we’ll go home.”
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