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Former player, coach, and sports analyst Hans Kraay Jr. isn’t worried about the Netherlands team getting out of their group at the World Cup but more about what comes after.
Speaking to FCUpdate.nl, Kraay said that knockout football is where things get unpredictable. “People always say the tournament is only successful if you reach at least the quarter-finals… We’ll definitely get through this group, after that you need some luck.”
And when he talks about ‘luck’, one matchup is clearly on his mind: the Morocco team.
A clash that could come too soon
Following the draw in December 2025, there’s a real chance the Netherlands and Morocco could meet extremely early, as soon as the Round of 32 on June 29.
Because the Dutch (Group F) and Morocco (Group C) are in linked groups, their paths cross immediately in the first knockout round. That creates two clear scenarios:
- Scenario A: Netherlands finish 1st in Group F, Morocco finish 2nd in Group C → they meet in Monterrey
- Scenario B: Morocco top Group C and Netherlands finish 2nd → they face off in Houston
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Either way, it would mean one of the two is heading home almost immediately, something Kraay really wants to avoid. “I hope we are not drawn against Morocco in the second round. That would ruin the Dutch-Moroccan party a bit.”
Kraay isn’t downplaying Morocco’s level. “We should face Morocco only in the quarter-finals, not earlier. One of two very good nations would go out, because Morocco, just like Oranje, have a very strong team,” he said.
It’s a sign of how much respect Morocco now commands on the global stage.
There is also a strong Moroccan community in the Netherlands, a game between the two nations carries a unique atmosphere, part rivalry, part shared identity.
But that early clash isn’t guaranteed. If both teams either win their groups or both finish second, they would avoid each other in the Round of 32. From there, the possibilities open up:
- They could meet in the Round of 16 on July 4
- Or later in the quarter-finals (July 9–11)
- Or even as late as the semi-finals (July 14–15) or the final on July 19 in New York/New Jersey
In other words, the dream scenario Kraay is hoping for, a big, late-stage showdown toward the end of the tournament, is still very much on the table.
The idea of such a strong matchup happening too early clearly doesn’t sit well with him. “I can’t even think about having to say goodbye to one of those countries that soon.”
Because this knockout tie is about two in-form teams, two football cultures, and a shared story between nations. And in his eyes, that’s something worth saving for when the stakes are at their highest.
Read also: Morocco’s Football Model Shapes Arab Representation At The 2026 World Cup
