One night, two penalty lines, six people.

Germans used to be ruthless in penalty shootouts. Before 2026, in 1982, 1986, 1990, and 2006, they stood at the penalty spot four times and walked away victorious each time. The Dutch have never won the World Cup, but at least they carry the title of the "uncrowned kings." On the night of June 29, 2026, these two fig leaves were torn to shreds by Paraguay and Morocco.

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Germans used to be ruthless in penalty shootouts. Before 2026, in 1982, 1986, 1990, and 2006, they stepped up to the spot four times and walked away unscathed each time. The Dutch have never won the World Cup, but at least they carried the title of the uncrowned kings. On the night of June 29, 2026, both of these fig leaves were torn to shreds by Paraguay and Morocco.

Germany vs. Paraguay. In the 42nd minute, Enciso headed the ball in, marking Paraguay's first goal in World Cup knockout history. Havertz equalized in the 54th minute, pushing the game to penalties at 1-1. Then Orlando Gill took over. Born in 2000, this guy went from the slums to the World Cup. That night, he saved penalties from Havertz and Woltemade, and watched Jonathan Tah send his shot wide. Penalties: 3-4. Germany's forty-year penalty shootout invincibility was shattered by a goalkeeper who, four years ago, was still struggling to put food on the table.

Nagelsmann's post-match comments came in two parts: the disallowed goal was a joke; but he also had to admit the team's performance wasn't enough. The first half cursed the referee, the second half conceded defeat. These two statements squeezed together expose the true state of this German team more than any advanced stats.

The Dutch died an even more bitter death. Gakpo put the ball in the net in the 72nd minute, and Moroccan defender Issa Diop scored a header to equalize in the 90+1st minute. In the penalty shootout, Kluivert, Timber, and Summerville—three Dutchmen stepped up to the spot, and all three missed. Moroccan goalkeeper Bounou saved Summerville's attempt, and Sebbari converted the sudden death winner. Penalties: 2-3. Don't talk about luck; three players, none of them scored.

But the most heart-wrenching scene of the night wasn't at the penalty spot.

In the 72nd minute, Gakpo scored. He knelt on the grass, hands covering his face, shaking all over. Two days earlier, on June 27, his girlfriend posted on Instagram: their unborn son, Elijah Raphael, had died in the womb. Gakpo didn't leave the squad; Van Dijk publicly supported him staying. On June 29, he kicked the ball into the net, knelt down and cried, with his teammates rushing over and holding him tight. In the penalty shootout, the Netherlands was eliminated. Losing a child, scoring a goal, getting eliminated—all crammed into three days. When the final whistle blew, he had to walk back to a locker room without his child.

Brazil didn't make it to the penalty spot that night.

Before they could get to the spot, they nearly suffocated.

Against Japan, in the 29th minute, Sano Kaishu took a shot with an xG of only 0.04. It was a blind, wild shot that would score maybe four times out of a hundred, but it went in. Japan 1-0. Brazil dominated possession at 69%, had 19 shots to Japan's 5, and an xG of 1.72 to 0.23. The stats screamed dominance, but on the pitch, it was all desperate gasping for air. Casemiro equalized in the 56th minute, but fear had already seeped into their bones. Since winning the title in 1994, for 28 years—from 1994 to 2022, eight consecutive tournaments—Brazil had at least made the quarterfinals, never falling earlier. In good times, pedigree is a charm; in bad times, it's a noose. Substitute Martinelli scored the winner in the 90+5th minute, 2-1. By the stats, it was a rout; by the video, it was a thriller.

Brazil just had tough luck, avoiding a penalty shootout. Germany and the Netherlands had already proven with their lives that the Russian roulette at the twelve-yard spot is a guarantee for no one.

On the pitch, underdogs were toppling giants. Off the pitch, the rule-makers were dismantling their own foundation.

Six months earlier, on December 5, 2025 (local time), Infantino awarded the first "FIFA Peace Award" to Trump at the World Cup draw ceremony. Two days later, the UK human rights organization FairSquare filed a complaint with the FIFA Ethics Committee, accusing Infantino of "multiple violations of political neutrality obligations." The complaint was blunt: by awarding the prize and in subsequent appearances, he had "expressed clear support for Trump's domestic and foreign political agenda," violating Article 15 of the ethics code. The complaint was submitted, and it went nowhere. On the night of the match six months later, fifty members of the European Parliament sent a joint letter to FIFA demanding an investigation into Infantino. FIFA's own ethical review mechanism has remained silent to this day.

The myth of the penalty spot was shattered piece by piece, but the myth in the Zurich headquarters didn't even have a scratch. Fifty MPs demanded an investigation into him, and not a single word has been uttered in response.

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