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Calls for responsibility and sportsmanship are growing in the Netherlands ahead of the highly anticipated Round of 32 clash between Morocco and the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off in the early hours of Tuesday. With a large Moroccan community living in the country, community leaders are urging supporters to ensure the match unfolds in an atmosphere of respect and coexistence.
In this context, the Council of Moroccan Mosques in North Holland has called on imams and mosque administrations to step up awareness efforts within their communities, encouraging worshippers, particularly young people, to respect the law and act responsibly. The council said the aim is to help preserve public order while projecting a positive image of Moroccans in the Netherlands.
Noting the strong interest the match has generated, the council urged imams to use Friday sermons, religious lessons and educational gatherings to emphasize the values of citizenship, respect for public order and peaceful coexistence. It stressed that sporting events should remain an opportunity to bring people together rather than give rise to behavior that could threaten public safety or disturb the peace.
«Football brings people together; it does not divide them»
The council also encouraged supporters to celebrate victory or cope with defeat in a civilized manner that reflects respect for the law. It noted that past experience has shown the importance of close coordination between mosques, families, community organizations and local authorities to ensure such occasions pass without incident.
Echoing that message, Abdelbaki Bakhbachi, founder of the Stars of Tomorrow foundation in the city of Breda, called on Moroccan and Dutch supporters to remember that football is meant to unite, not divide.
In a message shared on social media, Bakhbachi said everyone is free to support the team of their choice, provided they respect those cheering for the other side. «A strong person is someone who controls their emotions, not someone controlled by them», he wrote.
The founder of the foundation, which has spent years supporting young people through sport and culture, also urged supporters in Breda and across the Netherlands to uphold the values of ethics, respect and fair play promoted by FIFA, and to avoid any behavior that could undermine the spirit of the game or jeopardize public safety.
The appeals come as the match is expected to draw huge audiences across the Netherlands, home to hundreds of thousands of people of Moroccan origin.
