Netherlands Coach Ronald Koeman Resigns Less Than 24 Hours After World Cup Exit
The Netherlands and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw through 90 minutes and extra time on Monday night in a World Cup thriller.
Cody Gakpo first put the Dutch ahead in the 72nd minute. The goal meant especially more to Gakpo, who, along with his wife, had recently suffered the tragic loss of their unborn son, with the Liverpool forward collapsing on the turf, overwhelmed with emotion.
With a goal that late in the match, it looked for a moment like the Netherlands might pull ahead. Then Morocco fought back.
Issa Diop rose up to knock in a header in the 91st minute, canceling out Gakpo’s opener and forcing extra time. The Dutch held firm, and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was incredible, denying Soufiane Rahimi with a stunning save in the 96th minute to keep the game alive. But it wasn’t enough to win it.
In the shootout, Teun Koopmeiners gave the Dutch the perfect start, but misses from Justin Kluivert and Quinten Timber, plus Yassine Bounou’s stop on Crysencio Summerville, set up Ismael Saibari to seal it for Morocco. Saibari sent in the game-winner into the lower left corner as Verbruggen went the wrong way, and just like that, the game was over.
The Netherlands had reached the Round of 16 or further in the last 11 World Cups, including a quarterfinal appearance in Qatar just four years ago, making this one of the more devastating finishes in recent memory for the Dutch.
More news: Erling Haaland, Norway Make World Cup History in Stunning Win Over Ivory Coast
More news: South Korea Coach Resigns Just 24 Hours After Humiliating World Cup Elimination
Then, on Tuesday morning, the real news hit.
Head coach Ronald Koeman decided to resign from the position, posting on Instagram, “I decided last night that it is time to step down as head coach of Netherlands. We all shared the dream of making history at this World Cup, but we fell short. No one is more disappointed by that than I am. As head coach, the responsibility ultimately rests with me.”
More news: Which 2026 World Cup Favorite Faces the Toughest Road to the Final?
This was Koeman’s second stint leading the Oranje. He first took charge in 2018 before leaving for FC Barcelona in 2020, then returned in 2023.
Under him, the Netherlands had reached the semifinals of Euro 2024, their best showing at a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup. And he leaves as the Dutch coach with the second-most matches in history, having managed 64 games total.
As for The Atlas Lions, they will advance to the Round of 16, where they will face co-hosts Canada at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on July 4.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 6:32 PM.