Paraguay beats Germany 4-3 in penalty shootout in biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts: Paraguay stunned Germany in a penalty shootout on Monday to reach the last 16 of the World Cup on Monday (Jun 29).

The South Americans won 4-3 on spot kicks after the match finished 1-1 in extra-time to inflict Germany's first-ever defeat in a penalty shootout in a World Cup.

Jose Canale scored on the first sudden death penalty kick, while goalkeeper Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, as Paraguay pulled off the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup so far.

The round-of-16 match had ended 1-1 after extra time.

Paraguay went in front when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half.

Kai Havertz equalised in the 52nd minute for four-time champions Germany.

Paraguay will next face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden on Jul 4 in the round of 16 in Philadelphia.

A win in that match would land them back in Foxborough for a quarter-final match on Jul 9.

Germany had won six of seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments, including six straight since losing to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final.

In the only previous World Cup match between the teams, Germany beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 tournament.

Nearly a quarter-century later, Paraguay has its revenge.

"Obviously, we analysed every player and every detail of the penalty-takers," Gill said afterwards. "Thank God I was able to save two penalties. This is a privilege; we eliminated a champion."

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, who sat stunned on the bench after the defeat, said simply: "We didn't do enough today."

"VERY PROUD OF MY TEAMMATES"

Paraguay had appeared in five previous knockout games but failed to score in each. It advanced only once in those previous occasions, winning on penalty kicks against Japan in the round of 16 at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

It fell that year to eventual champion Spain in the quarter-finals.

Monday was Germany’s first knockout game since the 2014 final in Brazil when the Germans beat Argentina 1-0 to capture their fourth World Cup title.

Germany appeared to take a 2-1 lead in the 102nd minute when Jonathan Tah headed in a corner kick by Nathaniel Brown that was just above the reach of Gill.

But a video review ruled that Waldemar Anton pushed Gill to the ground before the shot and the goal was disallowed.

Anton headed straight at Gill from another corner, but Paraguay withstood Germany's set-piece barrage and then kept their cool to spring a monumental World Cup shock.

"I think the feeling we have is difficult to explain," a beaming Paraguay captain Gustavo Gomez said. "I’m very proud of my teammates and of this group. Today was a match in which we had to be Paraguay more than ever."

"I think deep down Germany knew that if they wanted to beat us, they would have to sweat blood, because we were going to make defeat very, very expensive for them."

Nagelsmann, who at the age of 38 became the youngest coach in a World Cup knockout stage in 40 years, will now be under massive pressure once he returns home after yet another World Cup debacle.

Germany suffered consecutive World Cup group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022.

"I am disappointed. It was just not enough to beat this opponent," said Nagelsmann, who had publicly set Germany the goal of winning a fifth World Cup. "The opponent scored once and we did not defend very well. We lost control of possession. We tried a lot of things but we should have scored earlier."

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