Morocco vs Netherlands RESULT: Result after African side win World Cup penalty shoot-out

The 2026 World Cup is into the serious stuff after the group stage, as the knockout rounds begin with a first ever last-32.

The top two sides in each group qualified for knockouts along with the eight best third-place teams. Uruguay and Scotland were among the 16 nations eliminated, while tournament contenders including Spain, France, Argentina, Brazil, England and Germany all topped their groups.

There are 104 matches in North America this summer, up by 40 since the Qatar World Cup in 2022, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo likely to play on this stage for the last time in their glittering careers.

In the midst of one of the most famous World Cup shoot-out interventions of all, with so much focus on him, Tim Krul was only looking to one place. That was into the eyes of the Costa Rica players.

“You can see which ones are more nervous,” Krul smiles. “They’re not able to put the ball where they want.”

So it proved with Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana, as Krul saved from both to send the Netherlands through to the semi-finals in 2014.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi was booed during the World Cup group phase after it was announced he will stand trial in a rape case.

Hours before Morocco’s game against Scotland on 19 June, a French appeals court confirmed that Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case.

Paraguay president Santiago Pena has declared a national holiday after the national football team caused a massive World Cup upset by beating Germany in the last-32.

The South Americans, who sneaked through to the knockouts after finishing as a best-placed third-place team, confined the Germans to their first-ever defeat in a World Cup penalty shootout.

Julio Enciso headed Paraguay into a first-half lead before Kai Havertz equalised in the second-half. Germany thought they’d scored a second in extra-time via Jonathan Tah’s header but it was ruled out after a controversial VAR review.

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has ruled out resigning from his post after his side’s dramatic loss to Paraguay in the World Cup round of 32, saying that he will lead the team at Euro 2028 if the German FA want him to.

Germany suffered a brutal World Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Paraguay to end the four-time world champions’ tournament in Boston.

After suffering from a controversial VAR call in extra-time, to chalk off Jonathan Tah’s goal, which would have seen Julian Nagelsmann’s side go 2-1 in front, the last 32 tie went to penalties, with misses from Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Tah enough to succumb to a 4-3 shoot-out loss.

The result leaves Nagelsmann on the brink, with immense pressure on the manager after speculation over his future entering the tournament.

So this was what Brazil hired Carlo Ancelotti to bring. The Italian won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid. Each brought a crucial injury-time goal in either the semi-final or the final; at times more than one.

And so, as Bruno Guimaraes pierced the Japan defence and Gabriel Martinelli angled a 95th-minute shot into the far corner of the net, the manager with the lowest heart rate in football had seen it all before.

Ancelotti can be the king of cool, the man who does not panic. His capacity for calm thinking in pressurised situations nevertheless contributed to a comeback that extends Brazil’s hope of gaining a sixth star on their shirts. Two of his changes had a catalytic effect: first introducing Endrick for Lucas Paqueta at half-time, giving Brazil a greater attacking threat, and then summoning Martinelli to replace Matheus Cunha.

Over six weeks, 48 nations will battle it out across the United States, Canada and Mexico, producing unforgettable moments, dramatic upsets, tactical masterclasses and plenty of controversy along the way.

But with matches taking place across multiple time zones and headlines arriving around the clock, keeping up with everything that matters will be a challenge.

That’s where our World Cup Insider newsletter comes in.

Landing in your inbox every morning throughout the tournament, World Cup Insider is your essential guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Designed to cut through the noise, it brings together the key stories, standout moments and expert analysis you need to stay on top of the action.

The 2026 World Cup is storming towards the knockout stages after this year’s bumper 48-team tournament had its first culling.

After a build-up that centred on controversy, greed and conflict, fans have been captivated by some enthralling performances and disappointed by others, with the likes of France and holders Argentina stamping their marks as rightful favourites, while England, Portugal and Brazil have all made slight missteps.

But the group stage is only the beginning – history will be written on the road to the final, with 32 remaining teams now raring to sink their teeth into the drama of knockouts football.

Here’s how every team in the knockout stages stacks up in The Independent’s World Cup 2026 power rankings, delving deeper into the top 10: