Published on 6/30/2026
Sadness and frustration fell over the Dutch press after the “Windmills” team was eliminated from the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup, following a loss to Morocco on penalties, after the Orange team conceded its lead until stoppage time of the original match.
Despite the great praise for what the Moroccan national team presented, most newspapers turned to directing sharp criticism at coach Ronald Koeman and considered that the exit revealed technical and tactical errors that cost the Netherlands an early exit from the tournament.
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“One of the cruelest nights”
De Telegraaf newspaper described the match as one of the most brutal nights for Dutch football, stressing that Morocco was the better side for most of the match, before snatching an equalizer in the dead time and then deciding qualification on penalties.
The newspaper stopped at the poignant scene of Cody Gakpo’s goal, as he celebrated with tears a few days after losing his child before birth, considering that that shot will remain one of the most prominent scenes of the World Cup, but it pointed out that the Netherlands’ joy did not last long after Morocco turned things around in the last moments.
The newspaper also criticized Koeman’s choices from the beginning, considering that his reliance on five defenders was an implicit acknowledgment of Morocco’s strength rather than a successful plan, and that the Dutch team played most of the match under pressure, while goalkeeper Bart Verbrugen saved his team on more than one occasion.
In its editorial, the newspaper went further, as the head of the sports department, Valentin Driessen, called for Koeman’s immediate departure, stressing that the Netherlands coach was no longer able to lead the national team after this failure.
“Morocco was the best”
As for the newspaper “Algemeen Dagblad”, its editorial was titled, “The Netherlands fails again in penalty kicks… and Morocco sends the windmills out of the World Cup.”
The newspaper confirmed that the Moroccan team imposed its personality on the match from the beginning, and was the most dangerous, while the Netherlands contented themselves with defending and waiting for opportunities, noting that Gakpo’s goal temporarily concealed the fact that the Atlas Lions had an advantage.
She believed that what hurts the Dutch fans most is the repetition of the scenario of the Japan match in the group stage, after the team failed once again to maintain its lead until the final whistle, before Issa Diop scored the fatal equalizer.
The newspaper also questioned Koeman’s decision to switch to a plan that included 5 defenders, considering that this change gave Morocco a clear message that the Netherlands was afraid to confront him, which was reflected in the course of the match.
She also praised goalkeeper Bart Verbrugen, stressing that he was the main reason the Netherlands stayed in the match until the penalty shootout, after he saved several chances.
“Painful end”
While the newspaper “De Volkskrant” focused on the statements of national team captain Virgil van Dijk, who defended the tactical plan, stressing that the Netherlands was defensively organized, and that Morocco faced difficulty in penetrating the lines for long periods.
But the newspaper pointed out, on the other hand, that the defensive organization was not sufficient, after the system collapsed in stoppage time, and the qualification card evaporated due to Diop’s goal and then the loss on penalties.
It also highlighted the great state of frustration within the national team camp, and quoted defender Jan-Paul van Hecke as saying that the exit was “extremely painful,” while he described what happened as a dream that was shattered in the last moments.
Despite the bitterness of the exit, the Dutch newspapers unanimously agreed that Morocco deserved to qualify, after it was the most dangerous party throughout the match, and succeeded in imposing its style on the Dutch national team, before being rewarded with a fatal goal and then with a deserved victory in penalty kicks, to continue its journey in the World Cup and set a date with Canada in the round of 16.
