Germany v Paraguay: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live

Key events

45m ago

Team news

1h ago

Preamble

“Anyone who was around in 2002 will remember that year’s Germany-Paraguay as probably the worst match of that tournament,” says Peter Goldstein. “I think this one will be better, if only because Germany have more good attackers at their disposal this time. But I’ll be very surprised if Paraguay add much to the match excitement-wise.”

In fairness, the winning goal was a beauty, and not only because it saved us all from extra-time.

“I’m extremely disappointed,” begins Kiera Healy, and for once that overused phrase is justified, “that we’ve had four Germany games without mentioning Die Mannschaft’s finest moment from the last World Cup on US soil.

“The tradition of forcing players into awkward backing vocals on cheesy songs really needs to be resurrected.”

They looked a lot more comfortable singing Three Lions after winning Euro 96.

Ian Sargeant writes in

Greetings from Turkey Rob. Just chilling over some post-dinner cocktails. My 25% German son is resplendent in his Germany shirt making his much missed grandmother proud I’m sure. Paraguay 1986? Alvin Martin’s only start in that campaign. Had he played the following game in stead of Terry Fenwick, would Stretch have got close enough to Maradona to stop Diego’s second? Trying to stop Alan Devonshire in club training every day would have been helpful...

I love the Royal Tenenbaumsish description of your son. (Please take that in the spirit in which it was intended.)

And no, Stretch wouldn’t have got any closer – but he might not have been on a yellow card for gratutious violence, which would have given him the option of taking Maradona out and stopping the second goal.

There’s a tragic backdrop to today’s game: six people have been killed at a youth welfare facility in Stade, Germany. Beyond the sympathy that shouldn’t need to be expressed, it’s hard to know what else to say.

Team news

Deniz Undav, who has scored three goals at this World Cup via the Chloe Kelly Paradox, starts up front for the first time. Jamal Musiala drops out, so Kai Havertz will probably play as a No10.

Miguel Almiron returns to the Paraguay side after his suspension, and Gabriel Avalos starts up front.

Germany (poss 3-4-2-1) Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger; Sane, Pavlovic, Nmecha. Brown; Havertz, Wirtz; Undav.

Subs: Baumann, Nubel, Anton, Goretzka, Leweling, Musiala, Woltemade, Gross, Beier, Stiller, Amiri, Raum, Thiaw, Ouedraogo.

Paraguay (poss 4-4-2) Gill; Caceres, Gomez, Canale, Alonso; Almiron, Cubas, Bobadilla, Galarza; Enciso, Avalos.

Subs: Fernandez, Olveira, Velazquez, Alderete, Balbuena, Sosa, Sanabria, Mauricio, Romero, Arce, Ojeda, Caballero, Pitta, Maidana.

Referee Jayal Jayed (Morocco)

The Chloe Kelly Paradox is one of the features of this World Cup. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, one of the world’s best substitutes, has just scored an injury-time winner for Brazil against Japan.

Paraguay haven’t scored a goal in five World Cup knockout games. Statistics never lie, but they can be economical with the truth and Paraguay have troubled some very good teams.

The eventual winners France needed the World Cup’s first Golden Goal to beat them in 1998; the finalists Germany needed a superb late winner from the unsung Oliver Neuville in 2002.

In 2010, after beating Japan on penalties following a 0-0 draw, they gave Spain a sizeable scare. Even in 1986, when they lost handsomely to good old England, they had chances to take the lead.

Preamble

Hello and welcome to live, scene-by-scene coverage of 4369 Days Later. That’s how long it’s been since Germany’s last World Cup knockout game, a scenario none of us could have foreseen when Mario Gotze scored the winner against Argentina in the 2014 final.

Paraguay have waited even longer to return to this particular do-or-die saloon, but then they’re not Germany so it’s not as big a deal. They are semi-forgotten quarter-finalists from 2010, when they gave the eventual winners Spain an abundant scare before eventually losing 1-0. Oscar Cardozo had a second-half penalty saved when the score was 0-0.

Germany are strongish favourites today, but their 12-year absence from the knockout rounds tells us that the old certainties around Germany and the World Cup no longer apply. The reward for the winners is dubious: France or Sweden in the last 16.

Kick off 4.30pm EDT/9.30pm BST/6.30am AET