Germany 1-1 Paraguay (Paraguay win 4-3 on penalties)

⚽ Germany: Havertz (54′)

⚽ Paraguay: Enciso (42′)

One of the greatest modern World Cup upsets has been written in Boston. After a gruelling 120 minutes of football, Gustavo Alfaro’s Paraguay held their nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout to eliminate four-time world champions Germany and book a historic spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 16.

The South Americans will now head to Philadelphia on July 4th to face the winner of the highly anticipated France vs. Sweden clash.

A Defensive Masterclass and Enciso’s Sucker Punch

From the opening whistle, the script was clear: Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany dominated the lion’s share of possession, patiently circulating the ball to break down a stubborn Paraguayan wall. Time and time again, Germany’s star-studded frontline of Leroy Sané, Florian Wirtz, and Kai Havertz found their paths ruthlessly blocked by goalkeeper Orlando Gill and his resolute defense.

Then, against the absolute run of play, disaster struck for the Europeans just before the break. In the 42nd minute, Manuel Neuer punched away a Paraguayan corner, but La Albirroja recycled the play brilliantly. Matías Galarza swung in a gorgeous, inviting cross that found a completely unmarked Julio Enciso, who thumping a header past Neuer to send the Paraguayan contingent into pure ecstasy.

Germany Strike Back but Die Mannschaft Falter

Germany emerged for the second half with renewed intensity and found their equalizer just nine minutes after the restart. Florian Wirtz drifted wide onto the left wing and delivered a pinpoint cross to Kai Havertz, who nodded home to make it 1-1.

As the second half progressed and extra time loomed, Paraguay sat deeper and deeper, absorbing relentless waves of German pressure. Nagelsmann emptied his bench, throwing on every available attacking option to avoid the lottery of a penalty shootout. Germany thought they had finally snatched the winner when Jonathan Tah bundled the ball into the net, but the stadium was silenced as the referee disallowed the goal for a foul by Waldemar Anton on the heroic Gill.

Shootout Drama: Gill the Hero, Canales Closes the Deal

Opting to shoot first in front of a sea of German supporters, Germany’s shootout got off to the worst possible start. Orlando Gill capped off his man-of-the-match performance by brilliantly saving Havertz’s opening penalty.

An agonizing, back-and-forth shootout followed with both sides trading misses under immense pressure. Ultimately, it fell to José Canales, who stepped up with ice in his veins to slot home the winning penalty, sealing a historic victory for Paraguay and sending the German giants packing.

“We knew we had to suffer, we knew we had to defend with our lives. This team has a giant heart.”

— Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay Coach