Paraguay Stuns Germany in Penalty Shootout to Advance at 2026 World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 match between Paraguay and Germany concluded with Paraguay winning 4-3 on penalties after the teams drew 1-1 in regulation and extra time.

Match Summary

Paraguay took the lead in the 42nd minute when Julio Enciso scored a header, giving Paraguay a 1-0 advantage at halftime. Germany equalized in the 53rd minute through Kai Havertz.

During the match, a Germany goal from a corner kick was disallowed following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, which determined a foul had been committed on Paraguay's goalkeeper.

The score remained 1-1 after 90 minutes, leading to extra time. No further goals were scored, and the match proceeded to a penalty shootout.

Penalty Shootout Breakdown

• Paraguay converted 4 of their penalties.
• Germany converted 3 of their penalties.
• Kai Havertz missed Germany's first penalty attempt.
• Germany missed a total of 3 penalties; Paraguay missed 2.
• Jose Canale scored the decisive penalty for Paraguay.

This was Germany's first penalty shootout loss in a World Cup.

Context & Rankings

According to FIFA rankings available prior to the match:

• Germany was ranked 10th (four-time World Cup champion)
• Paraguay was ranked 41st

Germany has not advanced past the round of 16 since winning the 2014 World Cup.

Historical Comparisons

The result has been compared to other unexpected outcomes in World Cup knockout stages:

• 1994 Quarterfinal: Bulgaria defeated defending champions Germany 2-1.
• 2002 Round of 16: South Korea eliminated Italy 2-1 via a golden goal.
• 2014 Semifinal: Germany defeated Brazil 7-1.
• 2022 Quarterfinal: Morocco defeated Portugal 1-0, becoming the first African and Arab team to reach the semifinals.