For the first time in Women’s World Cup history, Germany has failed to reach the knockout stages.
The No. 2 ranked team failed to advance from group play after a 1-1 draw against South Korea on Thursday, marking the biggest upset of the 2023 tournament thus far.
South Korea, who sits 15 spots below Germany in the rankings at No. 17, had nothing to lose and put together a defensively tough 90 minutes of soccer that stunned their opponents as time ran out.
Cho So-hyun got South Korea on the scoresheet early on before German captain Alexandra Popp headed one in just before half-time to tie it up 1-1.
Popp and her squad’s second-half efforts were not enough as Germany sat on the pitch at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane with teary eyes as their World Cup run came to a shockingly early end.
Following Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Colombia on Thursday, the two-time champions needed a win to advance.
Germany has beaten Morocco 6-0 earlier in the tournament, but failed to win another game.
The sour closing for Germany signaled a historic opening for Morocco who became the first Arab nation to ever reach the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup.
With Nigeria and South Africa also both securing their spots in the next round, three African teams have qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in tournament history.
The Moroccan team watched the ending of Germany’s game after its own win and exploded with emotion at full-time when it was confirmed the squad’s World Cup dreams would live on.
Both Morocco and Colombia finished with six points each to advance with Colombia winning Group H thanks to goal differential.
Germany goes home with four points and South Korea finishes with one point at the bottom of the group after dropping its first two matches.
