Paraguay stun Germany on penalties, spark massive World Cup upset
Paraguay shocked Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout, securing a famous last-16 place after a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
- Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw (Enciso 42′, Havertz 52′).
- Jose Canale scored the first sudden‑death penalty; Orlando Gill saved two penalties in the shootout.
- Paraguay (FIFA rank 34) was a huge underdog against 12th‑ranked Germany.
- Julio Enciso scored with a header from a Matias Galarza cross, set up by Miguel Almirón.
- Germany’s Jonathan Tah had a late extra‑time header disallowed after video review for a push on Gill.
- Paraguay will face the winner of France vs Sweden in the round of 16; a quarterfinal in Foxborough is possible with a win.
Foxborough delivered one of the World Cup’s most startling nights when Paraguay — a heavy underdog — held its nerve to beat Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw following extra time. The upset felt like the sort of sporting moment that stitches itself into a nation’s memory: Jose Canale’s cool first spot‑kick, Orlando Gill’s two decisive saves, and a team that refused to be defined by rankings.
For long stretches, the match was a study in contrasts. Germany, possession‑heavy and probing, amassed the lion’s share of the ball, especially in the first half, yet Paraguay’s compact shape and disciplined pressing turned promising moves into frustrated sequences. Paraguay’s breakthrough arrived in the 42nd minute — not from a lucky bounce but from precise, purposeful build-up. Miguel Almirón threaded a left‑footed pass between Aleksandar Pavlovic and Nathaniel Brown to Matias Galarza, whose cross found Julio Enciso unmarked; Enciso rose and planted a header past Manuel Neuer to give Paraguay the lead.
Germany responded after the break. Kai Havertz, arriving at the edge of the box, nodded in a cross from Florian Wirtz in the 52nd minute to level the score and remind everyone of Germany’s aerial threat. The equaliser swung momentum back and forth, and both teams probed for a winner that never quite arrived in regulation. Germany’s attacking numbers were eye‑catching — 78% possession at one stage — but Paraguay’s defensive discipline and well‑executed 4‑5‑1 frustrated clearcut chances.
Extra time produced a dramatic near‑moment for Germany. Jonathan Tah seemed to have headed in what would have been a 2-1 lead in the 102nd minute, but video review overturned the goal after officials ruled Waldemar Anton had pushed goalkeeper Orlando Gill to the ground before the header. The decision was a crushing reprieve for Paraguay and a turning point that set the stage for the penalty lottery.
In the shootout, nerves and character took centre stage. Gill, who had shown calm between the posts all evening, made two crucial saves that tilted fate toward South America. Jose Canale — starting in for the injured Omar Alderete — took the first sudden‑death penalty and buried it, sparking jubilant scenes among players and the contingent of travelling Paraguayans.
The victory has extra texture when seen against history. Paraguay, ranked 34th by FIFA and considered the longest betting long shot to win a World Cup match, toppled 12th‑ranked Germany — a nation steeped in knockout pedigree. Germany had won six of seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments and had not lost a World Cup knockout match since the 2014 final; Monday ended that run. For Paraguay, it was more than a single win. The country had failed to score in five previous World Cup knockout games and had only once advanced — a shootout win over Japan in 2010 — making this triumph a watershed moment.
Looking ahead, Paraguay will face the winner of Tuesday’s France‑Sweden match in the round of 16 in Philadelphia on Saturday. A further upset would return them to Foxborough for a quarterfinal on July 9 — an extraordinary prospect for a side that began the tournament a clear outsider.
For Germany, questions will reverberate about finishing and adjustments to break through compact defensive setups. The team’s group‑stage firepower — 10 goals, tied for the tournament high — did not fully translate when it mattered most. Kai Havertz acknowledged the team’s frustrations: “It was difficult to create chances and keep the pace.”
On the human level, the evening belonged to quiet professionalism and raw emotion: coaches studying every player, substitute Canale stepping into a defining role, Gill’s composed saves, and a collective Paraguay that celebrated not just a win but a moment of national pride.