Paraguay produced one of the biggest shocks of the World Cup by dumping Germany out on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw in their last-32 tie at Boston Stadium.
The South Americans won the shootout 4-3 after extra time failed to separate the sides, sending the four-time world champions home and pushing Paraguay into the Round of 16. Julio Enciso scored Paraguay’s opener in the 42nd minute before Kai Havertz equalised for Germany in the 54th.
For Germany, it was another brutal World Cup ending.
They had possession. They had pressure. They had chances. But when the match reached penalties, Paraguay found the nerve Germany could not.
Jose Canale converted the decisive sudden-death penalty, while goalkeeper Orlando Gill made key saves to seal Paraguay’s historic night.
Paraguay Strike First
Germany entered the tie as the heavyweight, but Paraguay refused to play like passengers.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side controlled long spells of the first half, yet their dominance did not translate into clear authority in front of goal. Paraguay stayed compact, fought for every second ball and waited for their moment.
It came shortly before half-time.
Miguel Almiron and Matias Galarza helped move Paraguay into a rare attacking position, and Enciso finished the move with a header into the bottom corner. The goal stunned Germany and gave La Albirroja a 1-0 lead at the break.
The scoreline carried a warning Germany could not ignore. Paraguay did not need long periods of control to damage them. They only needed one clean opening.
Havertz Gives Germany Hope
Germany needed a response after the break, but it did not arrive with the force their supporters would have expected.
Their passing remained uneven, their tempo lacked sharpness, and Paraguay continued to disrupt the rhythm of the game. Still, Germany had enough quality to find a way back.
Havertz delivered it in the 54th minute, glancing in the equaliser to bring Germany level and restore belief.
From there, Germany pushed for control, but Paraguay refused to collapse.
The game became tense, physical and increasingly nervous. Germany searched for the winner. Paraguay searched for survival and the counter-punch that might change their football history.
VAR Drama And Penalty Pressure
Germany thought they had found their breakthrough in extra time when Jonathan Tah headed the ball into the net.
But the goal was ruled out after a VAR review, with Sky Sports reporting that Tah’s header was controversially disallowed before the match eventually moved toward penalties.
That moment will sting Germany.
So will the shootout.
Both sides struggled from the spot, but Paraguay held their nerve when the match reached sudden death. Canale stepped up and buried the decisive kick, completing the upset and sending Paraguay into celebration.
Sky Sports reported that Germany lost a World Cup penalty shootout for the first time, making the collapse even heavier for a team already carrying the pressure of recent tournament failures.
Germany Fall, Paraguay Rise
This was not just a football result. It was a tournament rupture.
Germany came into the knockout stage with pedigree, expectation and the weight of their history. Paraguay came in with discipline, belief and a willingness to suffer.
Only one of those teams survived.
For Paraguay, the win is only the second time they have progressed from a World Cup knockout match, and it gives the country a moment that will travel far beyond the pitch.
For Germany, the questions will be severe.
They reached the knockout stage for the first time since winning the World Cup in 2014, but their return ended at the first hurdle. The result leaves another scar on a national team still searching for the authority that once made them football’s most reliable tournament machine.
Paraguay did not outshine Germany for 120 minutes.
They outlasted them.
And when the pressure moved to the penalty spot, that was enough to send a giant home.