World Cup 2026 produced its share of shocks on the way to Spain's final win over Argentina. Two penalty-shootout upsets in the Round of 32 reshaped the bracket before the knockout rounds had even reached the last 16, and two co-host nations -- Canada and the USA -- were both out by the Round of 16.
Paraguay 1-1 (4-3 pens) Germany -- Round of 32
Germany had topped Group E, but Paraguay held them to a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes and won 4-3 on penalties to knock the four-time champions out in the Round of 32. It stands as the tournament's most-cited upset: Paraguay had never faced Germany in a World Cup, and went on to lose 1-0 to eventual Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe and France in the next round.
Netherlands 1-1 (2-3 pens) Morocco -- Round of 32
In the same round, Morocco eliminated the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after another 1-1 draw. Morocco's run continued into the Round of 16, where they beat co-hosts Canada 3-0 with a second-half brace from Azzedine Ounahi, before their tournament ended against Spain -- eventual champions -- in the Round of 16.
Norway 2-1 Brazil (AET) -- Round of 16
Five-time champions Brazil went out in the Round of 16 against Norway. Erling Haaland scored twice late on -- in the 79th minute and again in stoppage time -- to send Brazil home and continue Norway's run to the quarterfinals, where they eventually lost to England after extra time.
Two Co-Hosts Out by the Last 16
Co-host status was no shield from the bracket: Canada lost 3-0 to Morocco and the USA lost 4-1 to Belgium, both in the Round of 16, leaving Mexico as the only co-host nation to reach the quarterfinals-adjacent stages before their own exit to England in the last 16.
The Numbers
- Two Round of 32 shootouts (Paraguay over Germany, Morocco over Netherlands) accounted for the tournament's headline upsets.
- Brazil's exit to Norway is the joint-biggest shock by tournament pedigree: five World Cup titles against a team that had never previously gone past the Round of 16.
- Read the full final recap and the complete Golden Boot standings.