Japan dream of the impossible as Morocco set another World Cup ambush
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The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, and there was no shortage of drama as the race to the final officially began.
Canada kept the dream alive as Los Angeles FC midfielder Stephen Eustaquio scored a 92nd-minute winner to rip South Africa’s hearts out in a dramatic tie at SoFi Stadium.
Jesse Marsch’s side won their maiden knockout fixture in nerve-wracking fashion, taking another significant step towards turning this home tournament into a memorable chapter in Canadian football history.
Stay tuned as we look ahead to another thrilling day in North America.
Can Japan defy odds and tradition against mighty Brazil?
NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, is the venue as Brazil and Japan meet in one of the standout round-of-32 fixtures, with the Selecao heavily fancied to progress into the next round.
In addition to losing just one of their 14 previous matches against the Samurai Blue, the five-time world champions have won each of their four World Cup clashes against teams from the AFC confederation.
However, Japan can draw confidence from the fact that their only win in this match-up came in their most recent encounter against Brazil back in October, though it was a mere friendly.
Japan’s dreadful record in World Cup games against CONMEBOL opposition paints an even bleaker picture, as they’ve suffered three defeats in their five such contests, while they’ve notoriously struggled at this stage of the competition.
Hajime Moriyasu’s men have the chance to rewrite the history books by winning a World Cup knockout match for the first time after four failed attempts, including a heartbreaking exit to Brazil’s South American rivals Paraguay in 2010.
On the bright side, Japan fared reasonably well in the group stage despite a pair of scoring draws against the Netherlands and Sweden, yet the odds remain firmly stacked against them in this mouth-watering showdown.
Tasked with guiding Brazil back to the top of the world for the first time since 2002, trophy-laden coach Carlo Ancelotti has a wealth of attacking potential at his disposal, especially now that Neymar has returned to the fold.
Still, the spotlight will fall on Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, who is on course to become the first Selecao player since Rivaldo and Ronaldo in 2002 to score in each of Brazil’s opening four matches at a World Cup.
Germany looking to paint long-awaited comeback with flying colours
Though it feels unreal, Germany have not qualified for the knockout stage since winning the 2014 World Cup, but Julian Nagelsmann’s side banished ghosts from the past after just two Group E outings.
Complacency appeared to creep into Die Mannschaft’s ranks in their final group fixture, as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador. However, their mindset is expected to be entirely different heading into this high-stakes showdown with Paraguay.
Seeking their first World Cup clean sheet since beating Argentina in the 2014 final, the four-time world champions enter this tie as odds-on favourites to return to winning ways against CONMEBOL opposition and reach the round of 16.
Before losing to Ecuador, they had won four consecutive matches against South American teams. Nevertheless, they would be well-advised not to underestimate the size of the task ahead.
Paraguay’s fighting spirit has taken them this far, but a lack of scoring prowess threatens to undermine the Guaranies’ bid to secure a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.
To put the scale of Paraguay’s struggles into perspective, they averaged 0.66 goals per match in the group stage, while generating a measly 0.23 xG in a scoreless draw against Australia last time out.
That’s not to mention they have failed to score in each of their previous five World Cup knockout games, hardly an encouraging sign ahead of their first meeting with Germany since 2013.
Dutch dream meets Morocco’s fearless rise
Despite starting their World Cup journey with a whimper, the Netherlands bounced back from a 2-2 draw against Japan to finish top of Group F with commanding wins over Sweden and Tunisia.
In doing so, the European heavyweights maintained their flawless record of progressing from the group stage in all ten World Cup appearances, with five of their last six campaigns ending in at least a quarter-final berth.
Ronald Koeman’s charges head into proceedings in high spirits, carrying a promising 11-game unbeaten streak into the knockouts, while further confidence stems from the fact that they squeezed past Morocco in their only previous World Cup clash.
The Atlas Lions will be looking to settle the scores after a 2-1 defeat in 1994, seeking back-to-back World Cup wins over UEFA opposition following a narrow 1-0 triumph over Scotland in the group stage.
After Morocco’s dream run to the semi-finals in 2022, few would be willing to bet against the reigning African champions pulling off another upset, particularly after their superb group-stage campaign.
As if holding Brazil to a 1-1 draw in a match many felt they had done enough to win was not impressive enough, Mohamed Ouahbi’s side then completed their first-ever World Cup comeback in a 4-2 victory over Haiti.
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What to watch
Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda has already drawn enquiries from the Premier League, and a big-money move after the World Cup appears increasingly likely, especially with another historic milestone within touching distance against Brazil.
Already on two goals in North America, the 27-year-old could become the first Asian player to score three or more times at a single World Cup, with Crystal Palace star Daichi Kamada also in contention to achieve the feat.
It’s clear that Japan are no idle threat, but if anyone can send the Samurai Blue packing, it’s Neymar, who’s gearing up for his first start at this summer’s tournament after making a cameo appearance against Scotland.
Worshiped by the entire nation, Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals, but he has not scored for the national team since September 2023.
Now would be the perfect time to remind everyone why he remains one of the most influential figures in Brazilian football.