World Cup 2026: Time to write off Germany, who have become an international Spurs

The 2026 World Cup knockout stage has seen significant upsets, including the elimination of Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands. The tournament has been marked by dramatic penalty shoot-outs and late-game goals.
Why it matters
The World Cup is a major global cultural and economic event, and these results represent significant shifts in international football power dynamics.
Nothing beats the World Cup . More accurately, nothing beats the World Cup when everything is on the line and suddenly it’s loser-goes-home time. We are four games into the knock-out phase and already we’ve had two games decided by injury-time goals and two more that went all the way to penalties. Last night saw the end of the road for Japan , for Germany and for the Netherlands . Insane drama at every turn.
Sports reporting focusing on match outcomes and tournament progression.
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