Netherlands vs Morocco: Round of 32 Prediction and Preview

Predictions

The Netherlands are favored to win, but only by a little.

Most experts think the Netherlands will win.

But it will be close, because Morocco defend really well.

• Our prediction: the Netherlands win 1-0.
• DraftKings: the Netherlands are the favorites, but only a little ahead.
• OddsShark: a Netherlands win, in a close game with not many goals.
• BetMGM: a close Netherlands win that could go to extra time.

Morocco are not your usual underdog

Here is the fun part of this whole game.

Morocco were the story of the last World Cup, back in 2022.

They became the first African team ever to reach a World Cup semifinal.

On the way there, Morocco beat Spain and Portugal, two of the best teams in the world.

So this is not a small nation that is just happy to be here.

This is a really good team with a strong defense, and they are hard to beat.

They got here the right way too, finishing 2nd in their group without losing a game.

They drew 1-1 with Brazil, beat Scotland 1-0, then beat Haiti 4-2.

They only missed the top spot on goal difference.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi has them doing what Morocco do best.

They stay organized at the back, and they are very hard to break down.

Two teams who never lost in the group stage

And here is the thing that makes this match so good.

Neither team lost a single game on the way here.

The Netherlands won their group with 7 points, and they scored a lot of goals.

They drew 2-2 with Japan, then beat Sweden 5-1, then beat Tunisia 3-1.

That is 10 goals in 3 games, the best attack in the whole group.

So you have the Netherlands, who love to score lots of goals.

And they run into Morocco, who almost never let anyone score.

A great attack against a great defense, that is why this will be such a good match to watch.

Why are the Netherlands the favorites?

The Netherlands are ahead because they have more quality in attack.

Their two forwards, Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo, are both really good at creating chances and getting to goal fast.

Behind them, Frenkie de Jong runs the midfield and sets the pace of the game.

Right back Denzel Dumfries loves to push forward and join the attack too.

Coach Ronald Koeman has built a team that wants the ball and wants to attack.

They are also the higher-ranked team, 7th in the FIFA rankings to Morocco's 12th.

Put all that together, and you can see why the Netherlands are the favorites.

Our call: 1-0 Netherlands

No, we are not picking lots of goals here, even with that Netherlands attack.

Morocco are too well organized at the back to let in many goals.

They also have goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who saved penalty after penalty for them in 2022.

So we think the Netherlands find a way to score one goal, and that is enough.

But it stays close the whole way, and it could even go to extra time.

Give us a close 1-0 win for the Netherlands, with Morocco making them fight for it.

The winner goes through to the last 16.

Where and when is the match?

The game is on Monday June 29 2026 at Estadio BBVA, near Monterrey in Mexico.

Kickoff is 7:00 PM local Mexico time.

Still need a ticket? Take a look at our World Cup tickets guide.