The penalty shootouts that shaped the 2026 World Cup: Germany and the Netherlands out
The 2026 World Cup produced four penalty shootouts in the knockouts, and some were devastating. In the round of 32, two European giants fell from the spot: Germany to Paraguay and the Netherlands to Morocco. We review the ties settled in football's cruellest lottery.
Penalties are football's cruellest lottery, and the 2026 World Cup had its fair share: four ties were settled from the spot, and some claimed big-name victims. The round of 32, in particular, swept aside two of the major European favourites.
The first earthquake was caused by Paraguay knocking out Germany. After a 1-1 over 120 minutes, the Albirroja won the shootout and sent home one of the title contenders, in one of the championship's biggest shocks. Almost simultaneously, Morocco repeated the feat against the Netherlands: another draw and another shootout won to dump out the Oranje.
There was more drama from the spot: Egypt saw off Australia in a shootout and produced a historic World Cup, reaching the round of 16. Each of these shootouts left indelible images of unexpected heroes and crushed stars, that mix of glory and drama that only penalties provoke.
In total, four ties decided in the lottery, a reminder that in top-level football the margin between advancing and going out is sometimes as thin as a post. You can relive all the tournament's shootouts, with their results, on our penalties page.