Brazil Advances While Germany and Netherlands Face Shocking Exits in World Cup Upsets

In a thrilling matchday at the World Cup, Brazil advanced to the round of 16 with a last-minute goal from Gabriel Martinelli, while Germany and the Netherlands faced shocking eliminations. Paraguay and Morocco capitalized on the opportunity, knocking out these football giants. Brazil's comeback marked a historic win, while Germany's penalty shootout defeat highlighted their ongoing struggles. The match between the Netherlands and Morocco ended in a dramatic penalty shootout, showcasing the intense competition of the tournament. Read on to discover the full details of these unforgettable matches.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 30, 2026, 23:55 IST

World Cup Chaos: Brazil Triumphs, Germany and Netherlands Fall

In a dramatic matchday, Brazil, the five-time champions, secured their place in the round of 16 thanks to a last-minute extra-time goal from Gabriel Martinelli. Meanwhile, football giants Germany and the Netherlands suffered unexpected eliminations at the hands of Paraguay and Morocco, respectively.

Paraguay, who reached the quarterfinals in 2010, and Morocco, semifinalists in 2022, will now aim to surpass their previous best performances, but this comes at the cost of top-ranked teams like the Netherlands (ranked 8) and Germany (ranked 10). This marks the first instance where two top-ten teams have been knocked out in the initial knockout round.

- Brazil vs Japan (2-1)

Japan's Samurai Blue started strong defensively, thwarting Brazil's early attempts. Kaishu Sano netted a stunning strike from the edge of the box in the 29th minute, giving Japan a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Casemiro equalized for Brazil in the 56th minute, but Vinicius Jr was denied by goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. With just six minutes left in extra time, Bruno Guimaraes assisted Martinelli, who finished clinically, propelling Brazil into the quarterfinals.

This victory marked Brazil's first knockout win after trailing at halftime since the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

According to Opta Analyst, Casemiro (34 years and 126 days) is now the second-oldest Brazilian goal-scorer in World Cup history, following Bebeto against Denmark in 1998 (34 years and 137 days). Additionally, Bruno Guimaraes is closing in on Pele's record for assists in a World Cup for Brazil, with four assists so far.

- Germany vs Paraguay (1-1) [3-4 on penalties]

Germany's struggles continued as they exited the tournament in the round of 32, having previously been eliminated in the group stage in the last two editions. This was their first World Cup elimination via penalty shootout, having won all four previous shootouts.

It was only their second defeat in a penalty shootout at a major international tournament, the first being against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final (5-3), according to OptaJoe.

Germany conceded an early goal from Julio Ensico in the 42nd minute, but Kai Havertz equalized just 12 minutes later. The match remained tied at 1-1 through extra time, and Germany thought they had scored the winning goal in the 101st minute, only for it to be disallowed after a VAR review.

In the penalty shootout, Paraguay triumphed 4-3, marking another disappointing chapter for the four-time champions since their 2014 World Cup victory. Jose Canale scored the decisive penalty.

Germany has struggled defensively, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 World Cup matches, their worst streak in tournament history. Their last clean sheet was during the 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2014 final.

Manuel Neuer, who returned from international retirement, has not made a significant impact, unable to secure a clean sheet even against debutants Curacao in their opening match, which they won 7-1 despite conceding an early equalizer.

Germany's defensive issues were evident in their matches against Ivory Coast and Ecuador, where they conceded goals despite early leads.

This defeat also ranks among the biggest upsets in modern World Cup history, with Germany entering the tournament ranked 10th and Paraguay at 41st, a difference of 31 places.

- Netherlands vs Morocco (1-1) [2-3 on penalties]

The match was tightly contested, but Cody Gakpo, facing personal tragedy, scored in the 72nd minute. Gakpo had just experienced a miscarriage but managed to find the net in a crucial moment. However, Issa Diop equalized just before full-time.

After a goalless extra time, the match went to penalties, where Bart Verbruggen saved one, but Yassine Bounou stopped two. Ismael Saibari, who had scored in all of Morocco's group stage matches, converted the decisive penalty, allowing Morocco to continue their impressive run.

Gakpo now has six World Cup goals, tying him with legends like Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie. However, his efforts were not enough to prevent his team's elimination.

Morocco will face Canada in the next round on July 4, while the winners of the Round of 32 will determine who meets Brazil and Paraguay in the quarterfinals.