Germany out of World Cup, Morocco qualify to round of 16
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After beating Canada 2-1, Morocco qualifies for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
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Morocco qualifies for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 1986. (Getty Images)
Morocco qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 1986 after beating Canada 2-1 on Thursday, while Croatia advanced at Belgium's expense after drawing 0-0.
Goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri meant Morocco topped Group F with seven points, two ahead of 2018 runners-up Croatia, who ranked second.
"It wasn't easy, but when you have an opportunity to make history, you remember it," Morocco coach Walid Regragui expressed following the win.
"We've made lots of people happy this evening, but let's not stop here," he added.
Regragui said that "before the tournament we set an objective -- we said we wanted to give everything we've got and get out of the group stages. We can tick that box now."
In 1986, the North African nation became the first African or Arab country ever to reach the knockout stages.
Following his team's loss, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez announced that he was leaving his job after his side were eliminated from the World Cup.
The 49-year-old had been in charge since 2016 and his contract was due to expire after the tournament.
"That was my last game with the national team, I can't carry on," Martinez said.
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Groups F and E match results
On the other hand, Japan stunned Spain 2-1 as both teams qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup, forcing Germany to a second successive group-stage exit.
It is the fourth time that Japan have finished in the last 16, but they have never progressed beyond that stage.
The victory for Japan sent them top of Group E and through to a clash with Croatia in the Round of 16, while Spain advanced as group runners-up ahead of Germany, who beat Costa Rica 4-2 but still ranked third.
Germany forward Thomas Mueller considered that his country's exit from the World Cup at the group stage for the second tournament in a row was an "absolute catastrophe".
"It is unbelievably bitter for us because our result would have been enough," Mueller indicated, adding, "It's a feeling of powerlessness."
Mueller was part of the 2014 World Cup-winning team and was also present when the four-time World Cup winners were eliminated at the same stage four years ago in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
