The first bunch of matches in the knockout stage of the Fifa World Cup were more of an eviction notice for heavyweights. Germany and the Netherlands collapsed and exited, while Brazil somehow escaped the apocalypse, finding their feet against an impressive Japan in the dying moments of extra time. .
This year’s football fiesta has underdogs guaranteeing that no stones would be left unturned. What does the internet do? Well, meme makers have seized these moments like seasoned artists spotting a blank canvas.
Take, for example, the Germany vs Paraguay match.
The four-time World Cup champions have now followed both their 2018 and 2022 group stage exit with a Round of 32 knockout departure in 2026.
Football fans wasted no time. One viral meme asked whether Germany were contenders or pretenders. Another suggested their new World Cup strategy is simple: "show up, make a cameo, then vanish."
Harsh? Absolutely, yes.
Funny? Yes, again.
Twitter entered its dark, chaotic stage with one viral meme depicting a shocked Adolf Hitler watching Germany lose to Paraguay.
Germany’s busy collecting “best of the worst” trophies now, another quipped.
Enter the Netherlands.
Everything was going well for the Dutch. Just a few minutes left, they had already scored a goal, and Morocco had scored nada; they were cruising through qualification like it was an easy game, and then Morocco launched a stunning attack in the 91st minute and found an equaliser.
Defender Issa Diop scored the dramatic equalizer to level the game at 1-1 right at the end of regulation time. Penalties followed. The bar posts shook more than the back of the net. Morocco prevailed. Dutch dreams evaporated.
As one quip meister said: “We're witnessing football history and meme history at the same time.” (We couldn’t agree more)
"Netherlands & Germany bottled the World Cup." Well, this surely is the verdict from football's least forgiving jury: the internet.
Japan's exit, however, brought a different meme template.
Unlike Germany, who received ruthless banter, Japan after losing to Brazil received something close to a farewell tribute concert. Fans shared clips mourning the Samurai Blue's departure, celebrated their unforgettable supporters and revisited the nation's growing collection of iconic World Cup moments.
Of course, there was also the classic joke that stadium cleaning crews might miss Japan more than anyone else.
In another viral meme, an image showed three Japan supporters in the stadium dressed as clowns, wearing white face paint and bright red clown noses while sporting Japan jerseys, showing just blank, disappointed faces.
One user stamped it as a generational meme, saying, “These Japan fans don’t know what they’ve done to Football Twitter next season.”
The Fifa World Cup will surely champion a winner this year, but at the breakneck speed the internet is moving, they might have to hand out a separate trophy for online tomfoolery