Paraguay Stun Germany on Penalties to Reach World Cup Round of 16

Paraguay produced one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating four-time champions Germany 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes to book their place in the Round of 16.
The contest in Boston remained deadlocked even after both teams had taken five penalties, forcing the shootout into sudden death. Germany defender Jonathan Tah blasted his effort over the crossbar before José Canale calmly converted the decisive spot-kick to send Paraguay through.
Goalkeeper Orlando Gill was Paraguay's hero, saving two penalties during the shootout after making six saves throughout the match.
The victory marked a memorable return to the World Cup for Paraguay, who were playing in the tournament for the first time in 16 years. It also extended Germany's recent World Cup struggles after group-stage eliminations in 2018 and 2022.
The defeat carried extra significance, as it was Germany's first-ever loss in a World Cup penalty shootout, having won all four of their previous shootout appearances.
Despite spending much of the match without the ball, Paraguay struck first in the 42nd minute when Julio Enciso headed home against the run of play.
Germany responded early in the second half through Kai Havertz, who also scored with a header in the 54th minute.
Germany dominated possession with around 75 percent of the ball and attempted 21 shots, six of them on target, while Paraguay managed just seven attempts, three of which tested the goalkeeper.
The Germans thought they had found a winner in the 102nd minute when Tah headed in from Nathaniel Brown's corner. However, the goal was ruled out after a VAR review, with referee Jalal Jayed judging that Waldemar Anton had fouled Gill before the header.
In the shootout, Gill denied Havertz with Germany's opening penalty before Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala converted their attempts. Paraguay successfully scored their opening three penalties.
Gill then made another outstanding save to stop Nick Woltemade, giving Paraguay the opportunity to seal victory. However, Antonio Sanabria fired wide.
Germany stayed alive through Nadiem Amiri, and veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer kept hopes alive by saving Fabián Balbuena's penalty to make it 3-3 after five kicks each.
But in sudden death, Tah's miss handed Canale the chance to make history, and the defender made no mistake, sparking jubilant celebrations as Paraguay completed a famous victory.
MMR