Morocco’s impressive victory for the FIFA World Cup 2026 against the Netherlands sparked a series of events on two continents, joyous celebrations erupted in Casablanca while clashes erupted between football 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 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time, denying the Dutch their early exit from the World Cup and setting up a last-16 clash against host Canada.
Celebrations turned into chaos in The Hague
The Netherlands has a large Moroccan population, and thousands of people celebrated Morocco’s victory late into the night. However, celebrations in the Schilderswijk district of The Hague turned violent as the police intervened.According to the Dutch police, “large fireworks were lit” during the celebrations, while the police were attacked with fireworks and stones. Riot police were deployed to maintain order, charging the crowds and using water cannons to disperse the gatherings.The police confirmed that “a few people were arrested for violent acts.”Meanwhile, in Casablanca, more than 2,000 kilometers away, there was indescribable excitement in the air.When Ismael Saibari converted the winning penalty, the peaceful silence inside the restaurant filled with his supporters was turned into deafening celebrations. Fireworks lit up the night sky as fans poured into the streets waving Moroccan flags, honking car horns and singing well past midnight.Although it was early morning and a weekday, hundreds of supporters continued to celebrate until dawn, gathering along the main streets of Casablanca while chanting, “Canada, we’re coming.”
Hakimi: ‘Qatar was not lucky’
Morocco’s captain, Achraf Hakimi, said that the victory that has led his team to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup was not a coincidence.“It was a very difficult and difficult game. We knew who we were up against, and we prepared well because we knew it would be a tough game, but we also knew it would be very difficult mentally,” Hakimi told the broadcaster.“We stayed focused until the end, showing true team spirit, and we are very proud of this win.”Hakimi also responded to critics who said that Morocco’s victory in Qatar was a one-off victory.“There were many people who thought that what happened in Qatar was just luck. But we kept our minds, and hard work always pays off. Today we got the results of that effort,” he said.
