FIFA World Cup 2026: Morocco into knockout after beating Haiti 4-2; Now there will be a big clash with Netherlands in ‘Round of 32’

The real thrill and drama of football is being seen on the stage of FIFA World Cup 2026. In a very volatile and breath-taking match of Group C played on Wednesday, Morocco defeated the Haitian team 4-2, which was showing a fighting game. With this resounding victory, Morocco has proudly bought the ticket to the ‘Round of 32’ (knockout stage). However, despite this big win, the Moroccan team missed the top spot in Group C. Morocco finished the group stage with a total of 7 points, equal to giants Brazil. Brazil had defeated Scotland 3-0 in their last group match, due to which Brazil remained in first place on the basis of better goal difference and Morocco had to be content with second place. Now in the knockout stage, Morocco will face the number one team of Group-F, where Netherlands is currently firmly at the top. Haiti explodes in the first half; Star goalkeeper Yassin Bono was also surprised. Haiti’s team, which was already out of the tournament race, played for its reputation in this match and gave the most memorable performance in history. Haiti’s aggressive and fearless play at the beginning of the match put Morocco’s defense completely on the backfoot. Haiti surprised everyone by scoring the first goal of the match in the 10th minute of the game. Josue Casimir made an excellent move, handled the ball and passed it to Jean-Kevin Duvernay. Duvernay made no mistake and crossed the ball into the penalty area, where Lenny Joseph hit a magical backheel shot. The ball unfortunately bounced off Morocco’s star goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and straight into the net, giving Haiti a 1-0 lead. Captain Ashraf Hakimi took command; Four goals in the first half After the initial shock, Morocco took control of the match and made continuous attacks, but Haiti’s experienced goalkeeper Johnny Placid stood like a wall and made several excellent saves. Finally, just 6 minutes before half-time, Morocco’s pressure paid off. Bilal Al Khanous delivered a dangerous cross into the D-area, which Haiti goalkeeper Placid could only push away. Moroccan captain Ashraf Hakimi, standing there, showed leopard-like agility and put the rebound ball into the goal post and leveled the score at 1-1. Haiti also immediately retaliated. In the final moments of the first half, Jean-Kevin Duvern once again assisted and passed a pass to Wilson Isidore, who fired a very powerful and sensational shot from outside the box to put his team ahead 2–0, leaving the Moroccan fans stunned. Morocco’s comeback just before the break and second half counterattack The celebrations for Haiti’s second goal had not yet ended when Morocco came back into the match just before the break (half-time). Sofian Amrabat delivered a through-pass to captain Hakimi running on the right wing. Hakimi’s precise cut-back was calmly headed into the corner of the goal post by Ismail Saibari. This is Saibari’s third goal in as many matches of this World Cup, which shows his excellent form. At the end of the first half the score was tied at 2-2. But as the second half began, Haiti’s defense slowly began to disintegrate in the face of Morocco’s persistent and sharp attacks. In the 78th minute of the match, Morocco finally got the lead it was waiting for. Haiti’s defenders were unable to clear a corner kick properly and the ball fell at the feet of substitute player Soufiane Rahimi, who without making any mistake scored from close range to make the score 3-2. High-voltage drama in stoppage time and VAR’s final decision Morocco sealed their victory in injury time/stoppage time, although the goal was fraught with some controversy and drama. Haiti’s defenders had stopped completely on the field, thinking that the ball had crossed the byline, but Morocco’s Rahimi continued playing and passed the ball in front of the goal post, where 20-year-old Gasim Yassin was standing and put the ball into the empty net to make the score 4-2. Haiti players lodged a strong protest on this, after which the referee took the help of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a long time. After a thorough review, officials confirmed that the ball was completely within the bounds of play and could not be considered out of line, resulting in the goal being declared legal. Honorable journey of Haiti returning to the World Cup after 52 years. With this defeat, the Haitian team, which made it to the main draw of the FIFA World Cup after 52 years (five decades), has been out of the group stage without scoring any points. Even though Haiti could not win any match in the tournament, football pundits around the world are praising the way they forced Morocco, Africa’s strongest and defending semi-finalist team, to chew iron grams. On the other hand, Morocco has now entered the knockout stage (Round of 32) with full momentum and confidence, where fans all over the world are now expecting a historic and tough match between Morocco and Netherlands.