Netherlands vs Morocco FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Score: Morocco had reached the semi-finals at Qatar 2022. (Photo: AP)Netherlands vs Morocco FIFA World Cup 2026 Football Match Live Score: Monday night’s matchup between the Netherlands and Morocco will be the highest ranked match in the round of 32. The Netherlands — ranked No. 7 — topped Group F after a draw against Japan and big wins over Sweden and Tunisia. Sixth-ranked Morocco fought to a 1-1 draw against Brazil in its opener before beating Scotland and Haiti to finish second in Group C. The Netherlands have long held the moniker of the best never to have won the tournament, having lost all three finals it played. The Dutch’s most recent final loss was to Spain in extra time in 2010, which was also the last time the Netherlands lost a World Cup game in 120 minutes.The Dutch haven’t lost in six previous World Cup matches against African countries. In 2022, Morocco defeated Spain and Portugal to become the first African team to reach the semifinals of the World Cup before losing to France. The Atlas Lions were also declared winners of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025.Story continues below this ad“The team is of course very well prepared,” Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou said. “We will face whatever comes in the 90 (minutes), 120 (minutes) or penalty kicks. We have great football players and the experience to face these things.” The Netherlands beat Morocco 2-1 in 1994, which was the only other World Cup meeting between the two. The winner will face Canada in the round of 16 on Saturday in Houston.SCROLL DOWN TO FOLLOW ALL THE LIVE UPDATES FROM THE NETHERLANDS VS MOROCCO GAMELive UpdatesJun 30, 2026 04:00 AM ISTNetherlands vs Morocco, FIFA World Cup LIVE: Focus on Ismael SaibariIsmael Saibari has emerged as Morocco’s primary goal threat during the group phase of the FIFA World Cup 2026.Born in the Spanish city of Terrassa in 2001, Ismael’s roots trace back to the turn of the 1990s when his parents, Hassan and Fatima, migrated to Spain, first settling in Almeria—where his older brother Akram was born—before relocating to Catalonia.From an early age, Ismael displayed an relentless obsession with football; coaches frequently scolded him for staying late and disrupting other teams' practices, he was always the first to arrive on weekends, and he would eagerly run home to collect his kit if another team ever needed an extra player.His brother Akram once revealed that Ismael carried the football everywhere, even to the bathroom.Jun 30, 2026 03:45 AM ISTNetherlands vs Morocco, FIFA World Cup LIVE: An insane statThe Netherlands are famous for never having won the FIFA World Cup despite the talent they have produced over the years. Think Johan Cruyff. Think Dennis Bergkamp. Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit. Or the batch that had Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie.But the Dutch have a record they can be semi-proud of: the nation has reached every Round of 16 at the World Cup since 1974.Jun 30, 2026 03:34 AM ISTHOLAHello and welcome to our live coverage of the FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash between the Netherlands and Morocco from the Monterrey Stadium.The Netherlands have reached the Round of 16 in every World Cup they have entered since 1974. (AP Photo)Kansas City was drenched in fluorescent orange. For Tunisia, already eliminated after conceding nine goals in two games, this was a chance to finish with something. They were given 180 seconds before that hope began to fade.The Netherlands needed only to avoid being overtaken by Japan’s goal difference against Sweden to top Group F. They did not need to win. They won anyway.Denzel Dumfries drove a low ball across the face of goal in the third minute. Ellyes Skhiri, Tunisia’s captain, got there first and turned it into his own net, the 12th own goal of this tournament, equalling the most ever recorded at a World Cup. Before the seventh minute it was two. Virgil Van Dijk headed a Reijnders free kick across the box and Brian Brobbey, reacting quickest, half-volleyed his third goal of the tournament past a helpless Aymen Dahmen. Two-nil in seven minutes. Given what had happened to Tunisia across this tournament, that was no surprise.READ MORE© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd