Paraguay is moving on in the 2026 World Cup after defeating Germany in incredibly dramatic fashion. After initially surprising the Germans with an early goal, the Albirroja held a 1-1 score line through extra time and won a penalty shootout 4-3 to stun the four-time World Cup champions and send them home.
Germany, which entered the match as the favorite, fought back for a second-half equalizer, but could not break through the Paraguayan defense despite numerous chances and a whopping 16 corner kicks. That was largely due to a sensational performance from Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who picked up six total saves and blocked two of Germany’s penalty kick attempts in the shootout.
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Germany had the upper hand throughout most of the game, but especially the first half, holding more possession and putting the ball into the opposing box more often. But it was Paraguay that ended up striking first, stunning Germany with a goal in the 42nd minute.
A second-chance attempt off a corner kick lead to a perfect header from Julio Enciso to give Paraguay a surprising 1-0 lead.
With a renewed energy in the second half, Germany was able to get an equalizer in the 54th minute behind a perfect glancing header from Kai Havertz.
With the game back level, Germany continued to put pressure on Paraguay in the attacking third, but simply couldn’t connect for a goal. The Albirroja defense had a whopping eight blocks to keep the Germans’ shots from connecting, with Gill there to do the rest.
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As a result, the game headed to extra time, giving both teams another 30 minutes to try and find the go-ahead goal. And in the 102nd minute, it seemed like they’d finally found it, as German defender Jonathan Tah rose above the defense for a decisive header.
But VAR review overturned the goal, citing a foul that Waldemar Anton committed on Gill to impede his ability to make a save. The somewhat soft foul call kept the game level and returned the ball back to Paraguay.
The remaining 20-plus minutes of extra time wasn’t enough for either team to find a deciding goal, sending the game into a penalty shootout.
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Gill used every mind game in the book, taking a quick walk around the field to keep Havertz waiting before the first kick. And it seemed to work: Gill leaned the correct direction and was able to deny Havertz to start the shootout on a strong note for Paraguay.
Gill then got another save, this time on Nick Woltemade, to put Paraguay on the brink of advancing. But Paraguay’s Antonio Sanabria, who took the next kick, sent his penalty wide left, keeping Germany’s hopes alive.
Germany’s Nadiem Amiri then nailed his kick, leaving it up to German keeper Manuel Neuer to get the block on Fabián Balbuena — and he did, sending the penalty round to sudden death.
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But Tah, whose goal was called back earlier, took the next penalty kick and absolutely skied it. That left José Canale with the chance to win it all for Paraguay, leading the team to glory and dispatching one of the World Cup favorites.
The result marks Germany’s first-ever penalty shootout loss in the World Cup, but more importantly, it means yet another disappointing end for the team. Since winning the World Cup in 2014, Germany got grouped over the past two tournaments, and now exits after the first-ever Round of 32.
Paraguay, meanwhile, will hope to keep it rolling in the Round of 16. With the win, the Albirroja are set to take on the winner of France-Sweden on July 4 in Philadelphia.
