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Netherlands and Morocco will face off in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup on Monday, June 29 at 21:00 Cuba time (01:00 UTC on June 30), at the , Mexico.
The venue in Monterrey, with a capacity of 53,500 spectators, will conclude its participation as a host for the tournament with this match.
The matchup pits the first team from Group F against the second team from Group C, two teams that reached the knockout stage with 7 points each, albeit with different journeys.
Netherlands concluded the group stage as the leader of Group F with a goal difference of +6 (10 goals scored, four conceded). The team, managed by Ronald Koeman, started with a 2-2 draw against Japan on June 14 in Arlington, then crushed Sweden 5-1 on June 20 in Houston — with two goals each from Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey — and wrapped up with a victory of 3-1 against Tunisia last Thursday in Kansas City.
Morocco finished second in Group C with a goal difference of +3 (six goals scored, three conceded). The team coached by Mohamed Ouhabi started with a 1-1 draw against Brazil on June 13 in New Jersey, then won 1-0 against Scotland on June 19 in Boston with a goal from Ismael Saibari in the 71st minute, and capped it off with a comeback victory of 4-2 against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta, where Achraf Hakimi stood out with a goal as well.
The main offensive weapons of the Netherlands are Gakpo and Brobbey, while Virgil van Dijk leads the defense as captain and Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch organize the midfield. On the Moroccan side, Hakimi is the most internationally recognized figure and arrives at this match in good form.
The only World Cup encounter between both teams dates back to June 29, 1994, when the Netherlands defeated Morocco 2-1 in the group stage of the World Cup held in the United States. The date of this matchup coincides exactly 32 years later with that sole precedent in World Cups.
The winner will advance to the next stage of the elimination round of the 2026 World Cup, which is being held with an expanded format of 48 teams and includes, for the first time in history, a round of 32.
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