The FIFA World Cup 2026 has witnessed two major upsets as football powerhouses Germany and the Netherlands have both been eliminated from the tournament at the Round of 32 stage. Both European giants succumbed to their opponents from Latin America and Africa respectively, with their campaigns ending dramatically in penalty shootouts.
Germany’s journey in the tournament came to an unexpected end following a defeat to Paraguay in a tense penalty shootout, which concluded with a 4-3 scoreline. The decisive match, held at Gillette Stadium, saw both teams battle to a 1-1 draw in regular time. Paraguay initially took the lead in the 42nd minute through Julio Espínola, but Germany managed to equalize in the 54th minute courtesy of a goal from Kai Havertz. Despite extra time, the score remained unchanged, pushing the contest to penalties.
This loss marks a significant and unprecedented moment in German football history, as it is the first time the ‘Die Mannschaft’ have been defeated in a penalty shootout at a World Cup. Historically, Germany had an impressive record, winning six out of their previous seven penalty shootouts on the global stage. This early exit further compounds a challenging period for Germany, representing their third consecutive disappointing performance in World Cups, following premature exits in the 2018 and 2022 editions where they failed to progress beyond the group stage. Paraguay, after navigating a tough group stage, will now advance to the Round of 16 to face either France or Sweden.
Similarly, the Netherlands also failed to secure their passage to the next round, falling to Morocco in another dramatic penalty shootout, which ended 3-2. The ‘Oranje’ initially broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute with a goal from Cody Gakpo. However, Morocco’s Issa Diop delivered a crucial equalizer in the 90+1st minute, sending the game into extra time. Despite intense attacking efforts from both sides during the two 15-minute periods of extra time, the 1-1 score held, leading to the penalty decider. This victory propels the African side, Morocco, into the Round of 16, where they are scheduled to play co-hosts Canada.
In other Round of 32 fixtures, Brazil successfully advanced past Japan and now awaits the winner of the match between Ivory Coast and Norway for their Round of 16 encounter.
