Netherlands-Morocco: the pick of the Round of 32

In the most anticipated game of the 2026 World Cup Round of 32, two teams ranked in FIFA's top 10, the Netherlands and Morocco, meet at Estadio Monterrey in Mexico. The Netherlands are ranked seventh in the world and Morocco sixth; this is seen as one of the standout ties of the round.

Both teams finished the group stage on seven points without defeat; Ronald Koeman's Netherlands drew 2-2 with Japan before beating Sweden 5-1 and Tunisia 3-1 to top Group F. Using Brian Brobbey as the lone striker, Koeman relies on Gakpo and Malen wide and a midfield trio of De Jong, Gravenberch and Reijnders; Virgil van Dijk is the captain. 

AFCON champions and 2022 semifinalists Morocco, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Brazil before beating Scotland 1-0 and Haiti 4-2 to finish second in Group C, with Ismael Saibari scoring in all three group games. Mohamed Ouahbi's side pose a threat with their disciplined defence and the pace of Hakimi and Brahim Díaz.

One of the men to watch will be Saibari. The forward, who plays for PSV, would equal Roger Milla's record of four goals and become one of the highest-scoring African players in World Cup history if he scores against the Netherlands. Koeman, for his part, made a notable comment about the tie: he said both teams ought to go further than this stage, and that the match has therefore come a little too soon at the World Cup. The two nations have met only once before, in the 1994 World Cup group stage, when the Netherlands won 2-1. The winner of this match will face Canada in the Round of 16. Here are the two probable lineups: 

🇳🇱 Netherlands (4-3-3): Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Malen, Brobbey, Gakpo. Coach: Ronald Koeman
🇲🇦 Morocco (4-2-3-1): Bono; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Brahim Díaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Saibari. Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi

Image: Sports Illustrated