Morocco Set New All-Time FIFA Ranking Record Following Penalty Shootout Win Over Netherlands
They entered as the sixth-ranked team in the world. They beat the seventh-ranked team in the highest-quality Round of 32 tie of the tournament. Morocco's win over the Netherlands now has them sitting at their highest FIFA ranking ever.
Morocco eliminated the Netherlands from the 2026 World Cup on Monday night, winning a penalty shootout 3-2 after a 1-1 draw through extra time at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico. The result confirmed what Morocco's recent rise has been building toward: the Atlas Lions now sit at their all-time highest FIFA World Ranking position, a mark that reflects four years of sustained success since their breakthrough run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.
Morocco's FIFA Ranking Climb to an All-Time High
Morocco entered Monday's match ranked sixth in the world, with the Netherlands one place behind at seventh, making it the highest combined ranking of any Round of 32 tie in this tournament. Morocco reached their all-time highest ranking position of fifth in June 2026, a remarkable climb for a team that sat as low as 95th in the world as recently as September 2010. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who took over the side in March, framed the win as part of a broader shift in perception. "I think Morocco has gained everybody's respect now. I saw the Netherlands' style of play as a form of respect."
How Morocco Beat the Netherlands in a Dramatic Shootout
Cody Gakpo gave the Netherlands the lead in the 72nd minute, a goal that carried deep personal weight given that he and his partner Noa van der Bij had recently announced the loss of their unborn child, with Gakpo breaking down in tears as his teammates rushed to embrace him. Morocco responded in the 91st minute through Issa Diop, who headed home a Chemsdine Talbi cross to force extra time. Neither side created a clear chance across 30 additional minutes, sending the match to penalties.
The shootout itself swung on a moment of fortune. With Morocco trailing 1-0 early in the shootout, Soufiane Rahimi's effort appeared saved by Bart Verbruggen, only for the goalkeeper to deflect it over the line with the back of his leg. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou then denied Crysencio Summerville with the scores tied at 2-2, before Ismael Saibari stepped up and buried the winning penalty, tearing off his shirt as his teammates mobbed him in celebration.
It was the second shootout of the tournament's knockout stage, after Paraguay's earlier win over Germany on the same day. Morocco now face co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16 at NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday, a rematch of their 2022 group stage meeting, which Morocco won 2-1.