KUCHING: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has once again shown that history counts for little once the knockout stage begins, proving why football remains a beautiful game.
For generations, the Netherlands and Germany have stood among football’s aristocracy. The Dutch gave the game legends such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie, while Germany’s legacy includes Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Lothar Matthäus, Miroslav Klose, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller.
Their influence extends far beyond trophies, shaping football philosophies that have inspired generations.
Yet, in one unforgettable day, both giants fell. Germany, four-time world champions and once the team every nation feared, were stunned by Paraguay after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout. Hours later, Morocco repeated the script, eliminating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties following a gripping 1-1 draw.
It was a reminder that once the knockout rounds begin, reputation, rankings and history become little more than footnotes. The World Cup has always been the stage where belief can outweigh pedigree.
Germany’s exit is particularly symbolic. Since lifting the trophy in Brazil in 2014, they have not won a single World Cup knockout match. Two consecutive group-stage eliminations have now been followed by a Round of 32 defeat to a Paraguay side ranked 41st in the world.
The defeat ended one of the World Cup’s most remarkable records. Germany had won each of their previous four World Cup penalty shootouts against France in 1982, Mexico in 1986, England in 1990 and Argentina in 2006 -before Paraguay handed them their first-ever shootout defeat on football’s biggest stage.
Such was the significance of the victory that President Santiago Peña declared a national public holiday to celebrate Paraguay’s historic progression to the Round of 16.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, continue to endure heartbreak from 12 yards. Their last three World Cup eliminations in 2014, 2022 and now 2026 have all come via penalty shootouts, adding another cruel chapter to the story of one of football’s greatest nations yet to lift the World Cup.
For Morocco, the victory represented far more than another upset. It reinforced the nation’s growing status on the global stage while highlighting the deep cultural links between Morocco and the Netherlands, where generations of Dutch citizens trace their heritage to Moroccan roots.
The giants may have fallen, but that is precisely what makes the World Cup so special.
Every four years, football reminds us that no dynasty is permanent, no favourite is untouchable, and no dream is too ambitious.
On the world’s biggest stage, history is respected – but never feared.
