“We’d imagined it would be a challenge, but they came at us with a clear game plan. They made it really tough for us, and we have to give them a lot of credit for that,” Brazil forward Mateus Cunha said after Brazil’s comeback victory over Japan.
Paraguay and Morocco booked their places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 after eliminating Germany and the Netherlands respectively in dramatic penalty shootouts, while Brazil and Canada secured regulation-time victories to progress from the Round of 32.
Germany’s World Cup campaign came to a heartbreaking end at Boston Stadium after Paraguay prevailed 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. The tightly contested encounter remained level after extra time before Paraguay held their nerve from the spot to send the four-time world champions crashing out of the tournament.
Morocco also advanced via penalties after battling to a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands at Monterrey Stadium. The North African side won the shootout 3-2, continuing their impressive tournament run and eliminating another European heavyweight.
Earlier in Los Angeles, co-hosts Canada secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Africa to become the first team from Monday’s Round of 32 fixtures to reach the last 16. The narrow win kept Canadian hopes alive as they advanced to the next stage.
Brazil also moved into the Round of 16 after defeating Japan 2-1 at Houston Stadium, but only after surviving a spirited challenge from the Asian side.
Football is often described as the beautiful game, but it can also be unforgiving. Japan came within touching distance of a historic first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout-stage victory after Kaishu Sano gave them a 29th-minute lead. However, Brazil responded with two second-half goals to complete the comeback and keep alive their pursuit of a record-extending sixth World Cup title.
Brazil forward Mateus Cunha praised Japan’s performance after the match, acknowledging the challenge posed by the Blue Samurai.
“We’d imagined it would be a challenge, but they came at us with a clear game plan. They made it really tough for us, and we have to give them a lot of credit for that,” Cunha said.
The praise from Brazil’s camp reflected the quality of Japan’s display, despite the disappointment of falling just short of a landmark victory.
With the completion of these Round of 32 fixtures, the knockout phase continues to gather momentum as the remaining teams battle for places in the quarter-finals.
Results
Monday, June 29
- Canada 1-0 South Africa — Los Angeles Stadium
- Brazil 2-1 Japan — Houston Stadium
Tuesday, June 30
- Paraguay 1-1 Germany (Paraguay won 4-3 on penalties) — Boston Stadium
- Morocco 1-1 Netherlands (Morocco won 3-2 on penalties) — Monterrey Stadium
