Netherlands vs. Morocco in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32

Kathmandu. The competition between Netherlands and Morocco in the 'Round of 32' of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started. Both teams have entered the field with the aim of entering the last 16 in the match taking place in Monterrey, Mexico. 

Morocco made history by reaching the semi-finals by stunning Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Morocco, ranked sixth in the FIFA rankings, and the Netherlands, ranked seventh, are both focused on advancing in this World Cup by playing aggressive football.

The Netherlands entered the knockout stage by finishing top of Group 'F'. The Netherlands, who drew 2-2 with Japan in their first group stage match, defeated Sweden 5-1 in the second match and registered a 3-1 victory over Tunisia in the final match.

Of the total 10 goals scored by the Dutch team in the group stage, Bryan Brobbey scored a maximum of three, while Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo scored two each, ranking second. Similarly, Virgil van Dijk and Jan Paul van Hecke scored one each. The Dutch team has a history of being undefeated in a total of 6 World Cup matches against African teams, but this is the Netherlands' first African opponent in the knockout stage.

On the other hand, African powerhouse Morocco reached the knockout stage by finishing as runner-up in 'Group C'. Morocco held strong Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their first match, defeated Scotland 1-0 in the second match, and maintained an unbeaten run by defeating Haiti 4-2 in the final match. Ismaila Sarr, who is in top form for Morocco, scored 3 goals alone in the group stage out of a total of 6 goals. If Sarr, who plays in the Netherlands league, scores in this match, he will equal Cameroon's Roger Milla's record of 4 goals and set a record for the highest-scoring African player in World Cup history. The match has become more interesting as three players of Dutch descent are in the Moroccan team.

The winner of this match will face the home team Canada in the last 16, who have already secured their place in the next round by defeating South Africa 1-0.