Zlatan Ibrahimovic has pinned the blame on one man after the Netherlands crashed out of the 2026 World Cup on Monday night.

Morocco secured their place in the last 16 thanks to a penalty shootout victory over the Oranje at Estadio Monterrey in Mexico.

Cody Gakpo had put Netherlands 1-0 up in the 72nd minute, days after the Liverpool star’s girlfriend tragically announced their unborn son had passed away during pregnancy, but the European nation were denied victory when Issa Diop equalised in stoppage-time.

No further goals were scored in extra-time, meaning the Round of 32 tie was settled on penalties.

Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville all failed to convert from the spot before Ismael Saibari fired Morocco through to the next round, where they will meet joint-hosts Canada at the Houston Stadium on Saturday.

Zlatan Pins Blame on Koeman

REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Shortly after the final whistle, former Sweden striker Ibrahimovic didn’t hold back with his honest thoughts live on FOX Sports.

The ex-PSG, Barcelona and Manchester United star was quoted by ESPN as saying:

Koeman, who earned 78 caps for the Dutch national team between 1983-1994, has been in charge of the Oranje since 2023. However, his position as head coach is now under severe threat following Monday’s lacklustre performance against Morocco.

Koeman Defends Defensive Tactics

Pro Shots/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

The Netherlands, who perfected the revolutionary philosophy of Total Football in the 1970s, are accused of using ultra defensive tactics in their Round of 32 clash.

However, Koeman defended his tactical approach following the penalty shootout defeat. The 63-year-old told NOS, per Tribuna: “The atmosphere in the locker room was dramatic. When you see things like the penalty [from Soufiane Rahimi] that went under [Bart] Verbruggen, it’s because it wasn’t meant to be for us.

“I decided to play this way because we gave too much space in the group stage. We needed to mark better, you know! Morocco is an excellent team, with star players. So, I decided this after a meeting with the group. I don’t regret it one bit.

“I was trying to change the team according to the thinking about who could take the penalties. I lost [Frenkie] De Jong, I lost Gakpo… so I was trying to put in capable people. It didn’t work out, what can you do?”

De Jong was replaced by Marten de Roon in the 110th minute, while Kluivert came on for Gakpo minutes later.

Arsenal have been told they will need to pay an eye-watering amount to land one of their key transfer targets this summer, according to a report from The Telegraph.

The Gunners are keen to strengthen across most positions in the squad, with hopes that they will be able to retain the Premier League table, and perhaps win even more than that.

The forward areas have been a particular place of focus, with the North London outfit struggling to crack open games on several different occasions, with their dominance not always reflective of the scoreline or result.

Several options have appeared as players who could make the difference, with Morgan Rogers emerging as one of the main targets to add a spark up front.

However, a deal won’t come cheap for the Aston Villa talisman.

Arsenal Told Morgan Rogers Price

Arsenal are chasing a move for Rogers this summer, but it will come at quite a cost. According to The Telegraph, Aston Villa have quoted an English-record fee of £130 million to land the playmaker.

It’s a move that would smash the record set by Alexander Isak’s move from Newcastle to Liverpool, which cost the Reds £125 million last summer.

It would also eclipse the current window’s largest fee, which is Elliot Anderson’s move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, which has cost a staggering £116 million.

The report claims that Villa view Rogers as being worth more than his England teammate, though they are reluctant to allow a sale to go through.

Another sticking point for the Midlands club is a 20 percent sell-on clause that Middlesbrough have in the deal, which will eat into the overall profit they can make from the star – who they paid £15 million for back in 2024.

Arsenal‘s stance on such a fee is unclear, while rivals Chelsea are also keen on a move for Rogers, who has been described as a “superstar”.

It would be quite a stunning transfer, however, that would set a new bar for transfer fees across the whole division.

Arsenal’s Record Transfer Signings

Matthew Childs via Reuters

If Arsenal were to cough up the £130 million, it would also set a record for the most-expensive signing in the club’s history so far, overshadowing their other deals in the market.

The top ten are largely made up of more recent signings, but only Declan Rice’s deal has seen the Gunners cross over the £100 million threshold.

1. Declan Rice – £105m
2. Nicolas Pepe – £72m
3. Eberechi Eze – £67.5m
4. Kai Havertz – £65m
5. Viktor Gyokeres – £64.2m
6. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £56m
7. Martin Zubimendi – £55.8m
8. Gabriel Jesus – £55m
9. Noni Madueke – £52m
10. Ben White – £50m

Having outlaid plenty in recent years for new signings, smashing the transfer record for Rogers would take them another step in the direction of spending.

It may add some immediate pressure on the England international, but it’s unclear whether Arsenal will be able to get a deal over the line in the near future.

The World Cup’s first giant-killing unfolded on Monday evening as Germany crashed out in the Round of 32 after losing on penalties to Paraguay.

Paraguay sat back for the majority of the first half and frustrated Julian Nagelsmann’s men. That said, they were the ones who went closest in the opening 45 minutes when Junior Alonso arrived at the far post, but Manuel Neuer blocked his effort.

The Germans then dominated possession but couldn’t break down a stern Paraguayan defence. Other than Alonso’s attempt in the first minute, the South Americans rarely made it out of their 18-yard box.

The game sprang into life in the 42nd minute when Paraguay took a shock lead through Strasbourg striker Julio Enciso. The former Brighton & Hove Albion man produced a fine header that left Manuel Neuer rooted to his spot.

Germany levelled in the 53rd minute after Florian Wirtz delivered a dangerous cross into the box. The faintest of touches from Kai Havertz’s head guided the ball past Orlando Gill.

The game opened up heading into the final 15 minutes of the second half, and both sides searched for a winner. Jonathan Tah thought he’d bagged it during extra-time with a tidy header only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out.

A feisty finish to regulation time saw Jamal Musiala escape a red card after a reckless challenge on Matias Galarza. The Paraguayan got revenge and perhaps also counted himself lucky not to receive his marching orders.

Havertz and Nick Woltemade were denied from the spot as Nagelsmann’s side woefully exited the World Cup. A tournament to forget for one of the biggest nations in world football.

Match Highlights

Still to come…

Germany Player Ratings

Phil Noble via Reuters

It’s easy to see why Germany fans have been critical of Julian Nagelsmann as his men were lacklustre throughout the first half. Wirtz isn’t a winger, and the Germans lack width when he’s playing on the left.

Wirtz put a quiet first-half behind him to deliver an inch-perfect cross for Havertz’s equaliser. The Arsenal man is a nuisance in the box and he also grew into the game.

Nathaniel Brown has been hailed amid a move to Bayern Munich, but on today’s showing he needs to improve defensively. The young left-back reacted poorly to the cross that led to Enciso’s goal.

The four-time world champions lack a prolific goalscorer, and Deniz Undav is no Miroslav Klose. Nagelsmann’s decision to start the Stuttgart forward didn’t pay off.

Felix Nmecha will be hoping Manchester United scouts weren’t in attendance, as the Red Devils’ midfield target wasn’t at his best. Neither was Joshua Kimmich, whose defensive weaknesses make clear he should be playing in midfield.

Paraguay Player Ratings

Peter Cziborra via Action Images via Reuters

Paraguay’s defence did well in the first half and were well organised to handle Germany’s attack, who grew frustrated. Jose Canale, in particular, performed like a brick wall, preventing the Germans from getting through the spaces.

Julio Enciso came up with a fine header to give his side the lead, and his movement caused problems for Nagelsmann’s defence. So too did former Newcastle United attacker Miguel Almiron, who worked hard on and off the ball for the South Americans.

Gustavo Alfaro was handed a massive headache when Ensico and Gabriel Avalos both went down with injuries and couldn’t continue. That said, Gustavo Caballero came on, and the Portsmouth loanee nearly made Germany pay on the counter on several occasions.