June 30, 2026, will go down as one of the darkest days in the history of three storied football programs. Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan were all eliminated from the FIFA World Cup in the Round of 32, a collective collapse that would have been unthinkable just a few tournament cycles ago.
How each giant fell
Germany’s exit was the most agonizing of the three. Die Mannschaft fought Paraguay to a 1-1 draw through regulation and extra time, only to lose 4-3 in a penalty shootout.
The Netherlands met a similar fate against Morocco. After failing to break the deadlock in normal and extra time, the Dutch were eliminated on penalties. Morocco, which made history by reaching the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, proved that run was no fluke.
Japan’s elimination was arguably the cleanest of the three. Brazil defeated the Samurai Blue 2-1 in a straightforward knockout result.
