Paraguay stun Germany on penalties to reach World Cup last 16

Paraguay produced a defensive masterclass to eliminate four-time world champions Germany from the FIFA World Cup 2026, winning 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32. Gustavo Alfaro's side held their nerve from the spot to secure a historic victory and advance to the last 16.

First half: Paraguay strike against the run of play

Germany dominated possession in the opening period, circulating the ball patiently as they sought a way through Paraguay's compact defence. Leroy Sane, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz were repeatedly shut out by goalkeeper Orlando Gill and his backline. Despite Germany's control, it was Paraguay who broke the deadlock just before half-time. From a corner, Manuel Neuer punched away the initial delivery, but Paraguay recycled the ball. Matias Galarza swung in a precise cross, and Julio Enciso headed home unmarked to give La Albirroja a 1-0 lead. It was Enciso's first World Cup knockout-stage goal and Paraguay's first in such a stage.

Second half: Germany equalize but fail to find winner

Germany emerged with renewed intensity after the break and levelled in the 54th minute. Wirtz delivered a cross from the left wing, and Havertz rose to head past Gill. As the half progressed, Germany pushed for a winner, while Paraguay sat deeper, waiting for counterattacking opportunities that never materialized. Julian Nagelsmann introduced all his attacking options in an attempt to avoid extra time. Germany thought they had scored the winner through Jonathan Tah, but the goal was ruled out for a foul by Waldemar Anton on Gill.

Penalty shootout: Gill the hero

Germany elected to shoot first in front of their own fans, but the shootout started poorly for them. Gill saved Havertz's opening penalty. The shootout saw several misses from both sides before Paraguay sealed victory through Jose Canales' cool finish. Gill saved two penalties in total, earning praise from his teammates and coach.

"I think the feeling is hard to explain. I'm very proud of my teammates, of the group. I think I said in the last interview that this group deserved one more game, and with everything we've been through, I'm most impressed by our unity. We have incredible strength to face any situation. Germany knew they needed to work incredibly hard to beat us." — Gustavo Gomez, Paraguay player

"An immense thrill. It was a tough match. We managed to hold on. We opened the scoring, they equalized, but then we managed to keep it up. Obviously, we analyzed every player and every detail of the penalty takers. Thank God I was able to save two penalties. This is a privilege; we eliminated a champion. This is dedicated to all Paraguayans." — Orlando Gill, Paraguay goalkeeper

"There's a real sense of dejection in the dressing room. Unfortunately, that's how football works sometimes, some teams can win with simple means. And you have to defend against those means consistently. We took too long to make our opponent chase the game. We could have put the ball into the box far more often. We have to settle the game before it gets to [penalties]. Our build-up play was too slow." — Julian Nagelsmann, Germany head coach

"I'm a little lost for words. This is my second World Cup and both times it came to nothing. All I can do is apologise. I thought we didn't play bad football at the last few tournaments, but something was always missing. And it was the same today. We have to take a hard look at ourselves, especially the players, and I'm leaving the coach out of that." — Kai Havertz, Germany forward

Next up for Paraguay

Paraguay will face the winner of France vs Sweden in Philadelphia on 4 July in the Round of 16.