Germany and the Netherlands out as World Cup 2026 last-16 line-up is confirmed

Two of world football's traditional heavyweights are already watching the rest of the 2026 World Cup from home. Germany and the Netherlands were both eliminated on penalties in the round of 32, the new opening knockout round of the expanded 48-team tournament, leaving a last-16 bracket shorn of two of its most decorated names.

Germany, four-time world champions, were beaten 4-3 on penalties by Paraguay in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on 29 June after a 1-1 draw. The same day, the Netherlands went out by the same route, losing 3-2 on spot-kicks to Morocco in Monterrey after their own 1-1 stalemate. Neither result had been widely predicted, and together they rank among the biggest shocks of a tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

How Germany fell to Paraguay

Paraguay, ranked well below Germany, took the lead through Julio Enciso, whose header late in the first half punished a sluggish start from Julian Nagelsmann's side. Kai Havertz levelled in the second half, and Germany thought they had a winner in extra time when Jonathan Tah headed home from a corner — only for the goal to be disallowed by VAR for a foul, a decision that infuriated the German bench.

The shootout was calamitous for Germany. Havertz and Nick Woltemade both had their penalties saved by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, and Tah blazed his effort over the bar before Jose Canale converted in sudden death to send Paraguay through. It was, according to Sky Sports, the first time Germany had ever lost a World Cup penalty shootout.

I don't have much to say. I'm lost for words. My second World Cup, and we've blown it twice. The only thing I can say is I'm sorry.

The words were Havertz's after the final whistle. Nagelsmann was scathing about the disallowed goal but accepted his team had not done enough. "It's a joke that our goal was disallowed, but at the end of the day, you have to say that it simply wasn't enough," the coach said. He later indicated he wanted to stay in the job, telling reporters he would continue if the German Football Association wished him to.

The Netherlands' shootout heartbreak

The Dutch exit was no less dramatic. Cody Gakpo put the Netherlands ahead after the hour against Morocco, and Ronald Koeman's team were closing in on the last 16 when Issa Diop headed an equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time. In the shootout, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved Crysencio Summerville's attempt and Ismael Saibari drilled in the decisive kick for a 3-2 win.

The defeat carried an immediate cost. Within days Koeman announced that he was stepping down as national coach, ending his second spell in charge. In a statement, he said the squad had dreamed of "a World Cup in which we would make history," adding: "That didn't happen. As head coach, you bear that responsibility."

Morocco, coached by Mohamed Ouahbi, went on to win their round-of-16 tie 3-0 against co-hosts Canada in Houston, extending an increasingly familiar run of deep tournament progress for the North African side.

The confirmed last-16 bracket

With the round of 32 complete, the eight last-16 ties are set, played across four days and eight host cities between 4 and 7 July. The opening two matches on 4 July have already produced results: France beat Paraguay 1-0 in Philadelphia, ending the Paraguayan run that had accounted for Germany, while Morocco saw off Canada.

The full round-of-16 schedule:

• 4 July — Morocco 3-0 Canada (Houston); France 1-0 Paraguay (Philadelphia)
• 5 July — Brazil v Norway (East Rutherford, New Jersey); Mexico v England (Mexico City)
• 6 July — Portugal v Spain (Arlington, Texas); United States v Belgium (Seattle)
• 7 July — Argentina v Egypt (Atlanta); Switzerland v Colombia (Vancouver)

The line-up underlines how the expanded format has reshaped the tournament's geography. Sixteen teams remain — including co-hosts Mexico, the United States and Canada, South American heavyweights Brazil and Argentina, and European sides England, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Norway — but not the Germany and Netherlands teams that so many brackets had pencilled into the later rounds.

Why it resonates in Europe

For European audiences, the double departure is a jolt. Germany are among the most successful nations in the tournament's history, with four titles, and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer captured the mood of disbelief after the Paraguay defeat. "Paraguay missed twice — that really should have been enough to win here," he said.

The Netherlands, beaten finalists three times, had travelled with genuine ambitions of their own. Both exits now trigger the familiar post-tournament reckoning — over squads, tactics and coaching futures — while the remaining 16 teams prepare for quarter-finals that will, for the first time in years, be contested without two of the sport's benchmark nations.