Billed as the tie of the round, this pits two unbeaten sides with contrasting blueprints. The Netherlands won Group F under Koeman with a fluid attack — a 5-1 demolition of Sweden and a 3-1 of Tunisia around a 2-2 draw with Japan — with Cody Gakpo their most consistent route and Brian Brobbey top-scoring on three. Morocco finished second in Group C behind Brazil on goal difference, also unbeaten, having held Brazil to a 1-1 draw, beaten Scotland 1-0 and seen off Haiti 4-2, with Ismael Saibari in fine form on three goals.

Morocco carry the defensive cohesion and rapid vertical transitions that powered their 2022 semi-final run, and they will target the spaces the Dutch leave when they over-commit. Expect a cagey, low-scoring game where the first goal is huge and neither side wants to be caught open. The panel leans heavily toward a stalemate after 90 minutes — a 1-1 feels right — with the Netherlands' deeper bench and slightly better shootout pedigree nudging them through. But every analyst flags this as a real coin-flip, and a Morocco win would surprise almost nobody.