Morocco’s dramatic 2026 FIFA World Cup victory over the Netherlands sparked contrasting scenes on two continents, with jubilant celebrations erupting in Casablanca as clashes erupted between soccer fans and police in the Dutch city of The Hague following the Atlas Lions’ historic qualification for the Round of 16.Morocco stunned the Netherlands 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw after extra time, condemning the Dutch to their first World Cup exit and setting up a last-16 clash against co-hosts Canada.
Celebrations turn chaotic in The Hague
The Netherlands is home to a large Moroccan community, and thousands of supporters celebrated Morocco’s victory at the end of the night. However, festivities in The Hague’s Schilderswijk district turned violent as police intervened.According to Dutch police, “heavy fireworks were fired” during the celebrations, with officers being attacked by fireworks and stones. Riot police were deployed to restore order, charging the crowd and using water cannon to disperse the gatherings.The police confirmed that “a few individuals were arrested for committing open violence.”Meanwhile, more than 2,000 kilometers away in Casablanca, the atmosphere was one of unbridled joy.As Ismael Saibari converted the winning penalty, the tense silence in the cafés full of supporters instantly turned into deafening celebrations. Fireworks lit up the night sky as fans lined the streets waving Moroccan flags, honking car horns and chanting long after midnight.Despite the early hours of the morning and a day of work ahead, hundreds of supporters continued to celebrate until dawn, gathering along the main boulevards of Casablanca while chanting: “Canada, we are coming for you.”
Hakimi: “Qatar was not a stroke of luck”
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi said the win showed his team’s amazing run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals was not a one-off.“It was a complicated and extremely tough match. We knew who we were up against, and we prepared well physically because we knew it would be a struggling game, but we also knew it would be even tougher mentally,” Hakimi told the broadcaster.“We kept our full focus until the end, showed the true spirit of this team, and we are incredibly proud of this victory.”Hakimi also responded to critics who had suggested that Morocco’s success in Qatar had been a one-off.“There were many people who thought that what happened in Qatar was just a stroke of luck. But we kept our focus, and hard work always pays off. Today we reaped the fruits of that effort,” he said.