Germany vs Paraguay 2026

Paraguay stunned the football world at Gillette Stadium, eliminating Germany from the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 after a dramatic penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Paraguay struck first when Julio Enciso capitalized on a moment of German hesitation, slotting home in the 42nd minute and sending the South Americans into the break with a deserved lead.

The response came swiftly after the restart. Just nine minutes into the second half, Kai Havertz restored parity for Germany, finishing with the composure expected of a player built for the biggest occasions. From there the match settled into a tense, cagey affair, with both sides probing for a winner across normal time and a grueling extra thirty minutes that produced no further breakthrough.

The contest was forced to its ultimate test of nerve. Germany converted through a string of takers including Havertz again, Kimmich, Musiala, Woltemade, Amiri and Tah, but Paraguay matched them kick for kick through Galarza, Gómez, Sanabria, Balbuena and Canale, eventually edging the shootout to complete one of the tournament's biggest upsets.

The result sends Paraguay surging into the Round of 16, a result that will live long in the country's football memory, while Germany, among the pre tournament favorites, exit the expanded 48 team World Cup far earlier than anyone in their camp would have imagined.