The Moroccan national team amazes the Dutch media.

The Dutch press wrote today, Tuesday, that the "Atlas Lions" achieved a "deserved victory" over the Netherlands, and were "better" than the "Oranje" throughout an exciting match that was decided by penalties.

The public broadcasting group "NOS" summarized, in a clear comment following the elimination of the Netherlands from the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, by stating: "The victory was deserved, and Morocco was the better team."

The Dutch media group pointed out that the "Oranje" were dominated by the African champions, especially in midfield, where they constantly found themselves in a numerical disadvantage and lost the ball quickly without managing to impose their style of play.

NOS considered that the mere fact that coach Ronald Koeman, for the first time in two years, abandoned his usual playing system to rely on a five-player defense, "reflects the respect that the Moroccan national team commands."

It added: "Morocco could not have received a more beautiful praise than this," explaining that this tactical change aimed to contain the capabilities of the "Atlas Lions," following the defensive difficulties shown by the Dutch team during the group stage.

Under the title "The World Cup ends for the Netherlands, and Morocco triumphs at the end of an exciting match," NOS noted that with this defeat against the "Atlas Lions," "the Dutch national team continues a long series of failures against the major nations in world football."

For its part, the newspaper "Algemeen Dagblad" (AD) spoke of "a new setback for the Netherlands against Morocco," considering that the "Oranje" "simply could not outplay the Moroccans technically."

According to the newspaper, the "Atlas Lions" dictated the pace of the match for long periods in the game that took place in Monterrey, Mexico.

The widely circulated newspaper "De Telegraaf" followed the same direction, confirming that "Morocco played the football that the Netherlands was supposed to develop."

The newspaper considered that Ronald Koeman's choice to rely on a five-player defense reflected a clear desire to adapt to the opponent's capabilities. This choice, although it provided better defensive organization, did not prevent the "Atlas Lions" from asserting their superiority in the flow of the game.

For its part, the website "ESPN.nl" titled: "Morocco put a harsh end to the Orange's World Cup dream," noting that the Dutch team's journey stopped in the Round of 16 "at the end of an exciting match."