Goalkeepers Yassine Bounou and Bart Verbruggen dominated the spotlight on Tuesday as Morocco eliminated the Netherlands in a dramatic penalty shootout during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 in Monterrey, Mexico.
According to player ratings from L'Équipe, both shot-stoppers delivered outstanding performances before Morocco ultimately advanced.
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Bounou's Heroics
Bounou secured Morocco's qualification by saving a crucial Dutch penalty. He also used his physical presence to pressure two opposing penalty takers into missing the target.
Verbruggen earned a high rating of 8/10 from L'Équipe despite the Netherlands' elimination.
The Dutch goalkeeper denied a close-range header from Neil El-Aynaoui in the 20th minute and deflected a powerful shot from Achraf Hakimi just one minute later.
L'Équipe reported that Verbruggen also made a crucial reflex save against Soufiane Rahimi in the 97th minute of extra time.
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The Netherlands goalkeeper was previously saved by the woodwork twice during regular play and twice more during the penalty shootout.
In defense, Jan Paul van Hecke stood out for the Netherlands with a 7/10 rating after winning five out of six aerial duels.
Van Hecke continued playing with a bloodied head following an accidental elbow from Azzedine Ounahi in the 27th minute.
In contrast, Dutch attackers Brian Brobbey and Ryan Gravenberch both received low ratings of 4/10.
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Brobbey recorded only 13 touches before being substituted for Wout Weghorst, while Gravenberch failed to impact the midfield following a promising opening sequence.
