The fourth match of the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 at the Estadio Monterrey, Mexico, on Tuesday (30/6) at 08.00 WIB is the second meeting between the Netherlands and Morocco in the World Cup tournament.
The first meeting took place in the group stage of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, when the Netherlands emerged victorious
.
The two teams faced each other again in friendlies in 2017 and 2019. The results were even, with each team winning once.
Now, they meet again in a completely different atmosphere and form from five to tens of years ago.
Morocco is no longer the team defeated by the Netherlands 32 years ago. The Atlas Lions have emerged as a new force in world football. This culminated in the 2022 World Cup, when they made history as the first African team and the first Arab team to reach the semifinals.
The gap between the 2022 and 2026 World Cups isn't that long. Therefore, Morocco retains the majority of the players who led the Atlas Lions to history four years ago. In contrast, the Netherlands arrives with a completely different squad. The abundance of quality players has allowed the Oranje to undergo a significant restructuring of their squad.
The Oranje are one of the favorites to win this edition, but Morocco is also considered one of the new title contenders outside the eight European and South American countries that have won the World Cup.
The Netherlands has never won the World Cup, but has reached the final three times.
The Oranje vowed to stand alongside Italy, Germany, England, France and Spain as European world champions.
Therefore, this match is not simply a battle of tactics and technical prowess on the pitch. The Netherlands and Morocco meet as a duel between two powerhouses, both possessing the potential to go far, even paving the way for the birth of a new world champion.
Both the Netherlands and Morocco made impressive starts to the 48-team tournament held across three North American countries, although their respective group finishes differed.
The Oranje started the 2026 World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Asian champions Japan, then performed flawlessly in their next two matches, scoring eight goals, after crushing Sweden 5-1 and stopping Tunisia 3-1.
The Atlas Lions were no less impressive. They forced five-time world champions Brazil to a draw in their opening match of this edition of the World Cup. After defeating Scotland 1-0 in their second match, the Atlas Lions thrashed Haiti 4-1. This victory also marked a new milestone for Morocco, as it was the first time they had scored four goals in a single World Cup match.
