Morocco held their nerve to beat the Netherlands on penalties after a dramatic late equaliser, Gabriel Martinelli spared Brazil's blushes with a stoppage-time winner against Japan, while Paraguay stunned Germany in the tournament's biggest shock to reach the World Cup last 16.
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup last 16 after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties following a dramatic 1-1 draw that went to extra time in Monterrey on Monday.
Ismael Saibari converted the winning spot-kick after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved Crysencio Summerville's penalty, setting up a last-16 meeting with co-hosts Canada.
The Netherlands looked set to progress after Cody Gakpo gave them the lead in the 72nd minute. The forward, who recently lost his unborn son with his partner, was embraced by teammates as he celebrated an emotional goal.
Morocco refused to give up. Deep into stoppage time, substitute Chemsdine Talbi crossed for Issa Diop, who headed past Bart Verbruggen to force extra time.
Neither side could find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, leaving penalties to decide the contest. After both teams missed from the spot, Quinten Timber fired wide for the Dutch before Saibari held his nerve to send Morocco through.
"We know this type of game, we know against who we play," Achraf Hakimi said after the match.
"We have to be focused and be strong physically but also mentally.
"I want to say thank you for Mexico for the support, all the Moroccans that came to support us."
Morocco will face Canada in the last 16 on Saturday.
The Arsenal forward scored in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to complete Brazil's comeback in their Round of 32 match in Houston.
Japan's Sano scored a stunning long-range effort in the first half, providing the wake-up call Brazil needed, before Casemiro equalised with a header in the 56th minute.
With just seconds remaining, Brazil won the ball back on the edge of Japan's penalty area before Bruno Guimaraes found Martinelli, who took a touch and guided his finish in off the post.
"We didn't lose our patience. We had a lot of resources on the pitch and on the bench," Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
"Japan isn't an easy opponent. It's very organised and intense.
"I was saving Neymar for extra time. He was going to enter the pitch in the 105th minute if we hadn't scored the second goal."
Brazil will now face either Ivory Coast or Norway in the Round of 16.
Germany losing on penalties has long been considered one of football's rarities – until now.
Jonathan Tah sent Germany's sixth penalty over the crossbar after his apparent extra-time winner had been controversially ruled out, as Paraguay secured a 4-3 shoot-out victory following a 1-1 draw in their Round of 32 tie.
Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead in the 42nd minute with a header, but Kai Havertz levelled for Germany shortly after half-time.
The four-time World Cup winners dominated much of the remainder of the match and extra time, but Paraguay held firm to force a penalty shoot-out.
Germany took the first spot-kick but never led, with Havertz missing their opening penalty before Nick Woltemade was also denied. Paraguay missed two opportunities to seal victory, but Canale kept his composure to convert the decisive sixth penalty and spark wild celebrations.
Paraguay will now face the winners of France and Sweden in the Round of 16.
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Spain booked their place in the World Cup final with a composed 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday, ending the hopes of the tournament favourites and moving within one match of a second World Cup title.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 15th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A newly introduced refereeing protocol has intensified debate over fairness at the FIFA World Cup, with another controversial decision involving defending champions Argentina fuelling criticism from fans and former officials.
Argentina and England will meet in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final after both sides came through gripping quarter-final ties that were settled in extra time.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
IBM has warned that a surge in spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure is weighing on its core business, in one of the clearest signs yet of how the AI boom is reshaping the technology sector.
Spain booked their place in the World Cup final with a composed 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday, ending the hopes of the tournament favourites and moving within one match of a second World Cup title.
Argentina and England will meet in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final after both sides came through gripping quarter-final ties that were settled in extra time.
South Africa international midfielder Jayden Adams, who helped Bafana Bafana reach the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time, has died at the age of 25.
What began as a fan-created chant just months ago has become one of the defining images of this year's FIFA World Cup, with Norway's "Viking Row" sweeping through stadiums, city streets and social media.
France booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Morocco on Thursday, as captain Kylian Mbappe overcame a missed penalty to play a decisive role in another dominant display by the two-time world champions.
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