Van der Vaart: Morocco deserves to qualify.

Former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart has retracted his earlier minimization of the Moroccan national team's chances, acknowledging the superiority of the "Atlas Lions" in the match against the Dutch team in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, which ended with the Moroccan team advancing through penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of regular and extra time.

During his appearance on the "NOS" channel, the former Dutch international expressed his admiration for the level displayed by the Moroccan team, confirming that their qualification was deserved based on the course of the match, as the "Atlas Lions" imposed their style from the beginning and were the more present side on the pitch.

Van der Vaart did not hide his disappointment with the performance of the Dutch team, considering that the "Oranje" did not deliver the expected level, despite taking the lead during the match, noting that the Moroccan team remained the more dangerous and deserving side to reach the next round.

The same speaker directed sharp criticism at the performance of his national team, particularly in the midfield, highlighting that the Moroccan team succeeded in asserting its dominance in this area, which was clearly reflected in the course of the match.

He also specifically criticized Frenkie de Jong, considering that the Dutch midfielder delivered, in his view, one of his weakest performances in the national team jersey, questioning whether this was due to the coach's tactical approach or the superiority imposed by the Moroccan players in the midfield.

It is worth noting that van der Vaart had stated before the match that victory would belong to the Dutch team without much effort "against the Atlas Lions."