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Germany came to the two thousand twenty six World Cup as one of the favorites, and Paraguay sent them home. Die Mannschaft expected a tough match against the South Americans — they got something far worse. A stunning elimination that nobody saw coming, and the bracket just got a whole lot more wide open.
Speaking of upsets, Morocco are through to the round of sixteen after knocking out the Netherlands on penalties, the match ending one-one before the shootout drama unfolded. And here's the brutal context — this is the third consecutive World Cup the Dutch have been eliminated from the spot. Three straight tournaments, three shootout exits. That is a haunting pattern that will follow this generation of Netherlands football for a long time.
Zooming out, we are only four matches into the knockout round and this tournament is already delivering. Two matches decided in stoppage time, two penalty shootouts — the two thousand twenty six World Cup has announced itself as something genuinely special. Canada, Morocco, and others are advancing, and the bracket is shaping up to be completely unpredictable from here.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
