The moment is finally here as the Round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco begins. The opening whistle has been blown by referee Wilton Sampaio and Netherlands will be take the first kick. Let's play!

Players of both the teams are out on the field for their respective national anthems. The Round Of 32, FIFA World Cup match between Morocco and Netherlands shall begin shortly now. Stay tuned with us. 

The FIFA world rankings were released and Morocco are currently holding the seventh spot, while the Netherlands slipped down to the eighth spot. Today's game will be an interesting and a thrilling affair. 

Dutch fans are out partying on the streets of Monterrey ahead of today’s game against Morocco.

Fortunately, the game starts at 3am local time in the Netherlands, minimizing the risk of riots in Dutch cities.

A 9pm kick-off would have been risky pic.twitter.com/SPDfkfRigM

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 29, 2026

Morocco continues to build on its remarkable rise in world football. The reigning AFCON champion opened its campaign with a creditable draw against Brazil before defeating Scotland and Haiti to secure second place in Group C. Even after falling behind twice against Haiti, the Atlas Lions showcased their resilience by storming back to win 4-2.

The Netherlands reached the knockout rounds after finishing top of its group, recovering from an opening draw against Japan with convincing victories over Sweden and Tunisia. Ronald Koeman's side has gradually found its rhythm, with a balanced blend of possession football and direct attacking play making it one of Europe's more dangerous outfits.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said his team has shown strong performances and character in their first three matches, but stressed that the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash against Netherlands will be a different challenge requiring different solutions.

"In the last three matches, we showed that we are capable of producing good performances and that we have a strong personality on the pitch. But tomorrow's match is different and requires different solutions. That is the mentality with which we will enter the game," he said. 

Netherlands have also made two changes to the side that played against Tunisia. Tijjani Reijnders and Donyell Malen drop out of the lineup, with Micky van de Ven and Crysencio Summerville coming in to replace them.

Morocco have made several changes to their lineup as compared to the side that faced Haiti. Redouane Halhal, Anass Salah-Eddine, Sofyan Amrabat, and Ayoub El Kaabi have all been dropped, while Issa Diop, Noussair Mazraoui, Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Azzedine Ounahi have been included in the starting XI.

Jose Canale scored on the first sudden death penalty kick, Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, and Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties Monday to earn the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup so far. The round of 32 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Paraguay took the lead when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half, but Kai Havertz equalized in the 52nd minute for four-time champion Germany.

The heartbreak was all too familiar for Japan at the World Cup. The country's national team hung in until the very end Monday but was eliminated from the tournament — the third straight time Japan has had the lead in the knockout round and lost. This year, it was to five-time champion Brazil 2-1 on a late goal in injury time. After four previous losses in such matches at World Cups, Japan is still searching for its first knockout victory.

Morocco (4-2-3-1): Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazroui; Bouaddi, El Aynaoui; Brahim, Ounahi, El Khannous; Saibari

Netherlands (3-4-3): Verbuggen; Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Aké; Van de Ven, De Jong, Gravenberch, Dumfries; Summerville, Brobbey, Gakpo

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco, straight from Guadalupe, Mexico.