Zlatan Ibrahimovic blamed Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman for his side's lost identity which led to the Dutch being eliminated from the World Cup on penalties
11:14, 30 Jun 2026
Teun Koopmeiners of the Netherlands, Quinten Timber of the Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, Justin Kluivert of the Netherlands, Jorrel Hato of the Netherlands, Crysencio Summerville of the Netherlands
The Netherlands suffered defeat to Morocco through a penalty shootout(Image: Getty Images)
Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has come under from Zlatan Ibrahimovic heavy criticism after his side’s shock World Cup defeat to Morocco, with claims the Dutchman abandoned the team’s traditional “identity” during the loss.
The three-time finalists were knocked out on penalties in the Round of 32 in Monterrey on Monday night after a dramatic contest swung back and forth.
Despite taking a second-half lead through Cody Gakpo, the Netherlands were unable to hold on as Morocco forced their way back into the match late on. Issa Diop equalized in stoppage time to send the game into extra time, with neither side able to find a winner in the additional 30 minutes.
In the shootout, the Netherlands suffered major setbacks as Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville all missed from the spot. Those errors proved decisive, allowing Morocco—despite an early miss from Neil El Aynaoui and a penalty hit against the post by Achraf Hakimi—to progress to the Round of 16, with Ismael Saibari ultimately converting the winning kick.
Ibrahimovic did not hold back in his assessment of the Netherlands’ World Cup exit, delivering a blunt critique of their performance. The former Sweden striker targeted Koeman’s defensive approach, arguing that it played a key role in the team’s elimination from the tournament.
Reacting on FOX Sports' post-match coverage, Ibrahimovic said: "I think this loss is on Koeman because I didn’t recognise this Dutch team. He lost with an identity that is not the Dutch identity and that makes me angry. Lose with your identity. That’s who you are."
The Netherlands finished the match with less than 30% possession and managed just two shots on target across 120 minutes. Koeman, whose contract is set to expire after the tournament, defended his tactical approach, insisting it was a necessary response to the game.
Netherlands' coach Ronald Koeman attends a press conference
Head coach Ronald Koeman defended is tactics despite the Netherlands being knocked out of the Word Cup(Image: JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The former Barcelona manager instead pointed to misfortune in the penalty shootout as the decisive factor for his side's elimination. Speaking after the match, he said: "The atmosphere in the locker room was dramatic. When you see things like the penalty (from Soufiane Rahimi) that went under (Bart) Verbruggen, it’s because it wasn’t meant to be for us.
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"I decided to play this way because we gave too much space in the group stage. We needed to mark better. Morocco is an excellent team, with star players. So, I decided this after a meeting with the group. I don’t regret it one bit. I was trying to change the team according to the thinking about who could take the penalties. I lost (Frenkie) de Jong, I lost Gakpo. So I was trying to put in capable people. It didn’t work, what can you do?"
The defeat marks the first time in Netherlands World Cup history that they have failed to reach the Round of 16 after qualifying for the finals. In their 11 previous tournament appearances, they had progressed to at least the last 16 on every occasion, underlining their consistent knockout-stage pedigree.
It also extends an unusual trend, as the loss to Morocco represents the first time since 2006 that the Netherlands have failed to win their opening knockout match at a World Cup.