Paraguay knock Germany out of the World Cup on penalties
Paraguay dumped four-time champions Germany out of the World Cup in the round of 32, holding their nerve in a 4-3 shootout in Foxborough after the tie finished 1-1.
Jun 30, 2026
Germany are out of the World Cup. Paraguay, the great spoilers of this tournament, sent Julian Nagelsmann’s side home in the round of 32 on Monday, holding their nerve through a 4-3 penalty shootout at Gillette Stadium after 120 minutes had ended level at 1-1.
It is the kind of result that will sting in Germany for a long time. A four-time world champion, beaten on spot-kicks by a Paraguay team that had not reached a World Cup knockout round in sixteen years, in front of a crowd just outside Boston that had expected to watch the favourites march on.
Enciso strikes first, Havertz hauls Germany level
Paraguay did not sit back and wait to be beaten. Julio Enciso put them ahead late in the first half, finishing off a move started by Matias Galarza to silence the German support and hand Gustavo Alfaro’s side a lead their early aggression had earned.
Germany needed Kai Havertz to settle them. In the 54th minute, the forward met a Florian Wirtz delivery to equalise, and from there the expectation was that the favourites would gradually take control. They never quite did. Paraguay defended in numbers, broke when they could, and dragged the tie into extra time without ever looking like a side simply hanging on.
A disallowed goal and a shootout that broke Germany
Germany thought they had won it in extra time. Jonathan Tah turned the ball home, only for VAR to rule the goal out, with Waldemar Anton penalised for impeding Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the build-up. The decision held, the score stayed level, and the tie went to penalties.
That is where Gill became the difference. He saved from Havertz early in the shootout, and Germany unravelled from there. Nick Woltemade missed, and when Tah skied his effort over the bar, Paraguay had their chance. Jose Canale stepped up and buried the decisive kick to spark wild celebrations and complete a 4-3 win.
Another giant falls at this World Cup
Paraguay’s reward is a place in the last 16 and a meeting with the winner of France against Sweden. For a side that arrived in North America as one of the tournament’s outsiders, it is a run that has already outstripped almost anyone’s expectations.
For Germany, the questions begin again. Nagelsmann was handed this squad to rebuild belief after the disappointments of recent tournaments, and instead his team has gone out at the first knockout hurdle to opponents they were heavily fancied to beat. A World Cup that promised a deep run has ended in Foxborough, on penalties, against a team that simply refused to go away.