Paraguay pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating Germany 4-3 on penalties following a dramatic 1-1 draw over 120 minutes in the Round of 32.
The South Americans withstood relentless German pressure before holding their nerve from the spot to eliminate one of the tournament favourites in Foxborough.
Germany dominated almost every statistical category throughout the match. Julian Nagelsmann’s side controlled 75% possession, completed an impressive 753 passes at 92% accuracy, attempted 21 shots and won 16 corners. Yet despite spending long periods camped inside Paraguay’s half, they struggled to turn their dominance into goals.
Paraguay, meanwhile, remained disciplined and clinical whenever opportunities presented themselves.
Their breakthrough arrived three minutes before halftime. Matías Galarza threaded a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Julio Enciso, who calmly finished beyond the German goalkeeper to silence the Boston crowd and hand Paraguay a surprise 1-0 lead.
Germany responded almost immediately after the restart.
Florian Wirtz found Kai Havertz with an incisive pass in the 54th minute, and the Arsenal forward finished confidently to level the match at 1-1. The equalizer sparked wave after wave of German attacks as Havertz, Wirtz and later substitute Jamal Musiala repeatedly searched for a winner.
Paraguay’s back line, marshalled by captain Gustavo Gómez and José Canale, absorbed immense pressure while goalkeeper Orlando Gill produced another composed performance behind them.
Germany thought they had finally found the breakthrough during extra time, only for a VAR review to rule the goal out, ensuring the contest would be decided by penalties.
The shootout proved just as tense.
Kai Havertz saw Germany’s opening penalty saved before Mauricio converted for Paraguay. Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala kept Germany alive after Gustavo Gómez and Matías Galarza converted for Paraguay.
The momentum shifted again when Nick Woltemade missed Germany’s fourth penalty, although Antonio Sanabria failed to capitalize for Paraguay. Nadiem Amiri calmly converted to level the shootout before Fabián Balbuena missed, giving Germany one final opportunity to seize control.
Instead, Jonathan Tah fired wide under immense pressure, leaving José Canale with the decisive kick. The Paraguayan defender made no mistake, firing home to seal a famous 4-3 shootout victory and spark wild celebrations among the Paraguay players and supporters.
For Germany, the defeat will be difficult to accept after producing one of their most dominant performances of the tournament without finding the clinical edge required in knockout football.
Paraguay, however, once again demonstrated that discipline, resilience and composure can overcome overwhelming possession and attacking statistics. Gustavo Alfaro’s side now advances to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, where confidence will be soaring after eliminating one of football’s traditional powerhouses.
