World Cup
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Cup 2026
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Paraguay produced one of the greatest shocks in recent World Cup history by inflicting a first penalty shootout defeat at the tournament on four-time champions Germany.
Germany sit 31 places higher than Paraguay in FIFA’s world rankings, but lost a nail-biting sudden-death shootout 4-3.
The game went to extra time after Kai Havertz’s header cancelled out Julio Enciso’s surprise opener, with Jonathan Tah then seeing a header controversially ruled out by VAR.
Paraguay, who had never won a World Cup knockout match before, will now face either France or Sweden in Philadelphia on Saturday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Speaking of the public in Paraguay, this is what the World Cup is all about!
The moment Paraguay won:
Se cae Asunción!!! Qué partidazo!!! Vamos Paraguay!!! pic.twitter.com/WGBF8nWhSq
Following Paraguay's shocking victory, the country's president took to social media to announce that tomorrow will be a public holiday across the nation. Hard to imagine much work was going to get done anyway!
¡PARAGUAY NUNCA SE RINDE! ¡¡FERIADO CARAJO!! 🇵🇾
Speaking to reporters after his team's elimination, head coach Julian Nagelsmann said that Germany are no longer among the world's elite.
“This is now (our) third elimination in a row so we are not part of the first-class teams any more. It doesn't matter if it is me, (Hansi) Flick or (Joachim) Low. We tried new things but kept foundations. There are a few things we need to address in the future.
“We don't have many left-backs available. Schlotterbeck not playing hurts us. Not many players in the German Bundesliga who have these profiles. After the first goal conceded we realised we were not dominant enough. It took some time. The crosses didn't really hurt the opponent.
“Few solutions. If they work on the pitch I don't know. Only the future will tell.”
Bringing on a player at the end of extra time specifically to take a penalty is a risky strategy, and one that hasn't paid off in recent times. Eight of the last 10 players to be subbed on after the 115th minute of play at the Euros or World Cup missed their penalty in the ensuing shootout. That figure includes Fabian Balbuena, who entered the game for Paraguay in stoppage time at the very end before seeing his potential match-winning penalty saved by Manuel Neuer.
Including corners, Germany played 55 crosses today, more than any other team in a World Cup knockout match on record (since 1966), but only managed to successfully deliver 10 of them to a team-mate.
Speaking on Magenta in Germany after the match, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was critical of the referee's decision to disallow Jonathan Tah's goal in extra time.
“If that's a disallowed goal, then Arsenal wouldn’t be English champions. They scored 60 per cent of their goals like that. So that’s obviously brutal.”
Tonight was just Germany's second defeat in a World Cup knockout match since 2006, encompassing a run of 10 total knockout matches. Since losing in the semi-final to Italy in that tournament, their only other knockout loss came against Spain in the 2010 semi-final.
They won the World Cup in 2014, and failed to make it out of the group stage in 2018 and 2022.
Paraguay's win this evening was just their second ever in a World Cup knockout tie.
Both victories came via penalty shootouts (they also won 5-3 on penalties vs Japan in the 2010 round of 16).
That also means that Julio Enciso’s opener was Paraguay's first goal in the knockout stage of the World Cup, having failed to score in their five previous knockout ties.
Germany dominated possession in this match to the tune of a 75 per cent ratio. That's the third-highest figure on record (since 1966) in a World Cup knockout match.
Interestingly, the two teams that recorded a higher number also lost, also on penalties: Spain in the round of 16 in each of the past two editions of the tournament, against Russia in 2018 and against Morocco in 2022.
With defeat tonight, Germany continue a run that has afflicted three consecutive World Cup winning nations.
Italy (2006), Spain (2010), and Germany (2014), three consecutive winners, have all failed to win a World Cup knockout match since claiming the title.
Italy did not make it out of their group in 2010 and 2014. Remarkably, they have not qualified for the World Cup since.
Spain failed to make it out of the group in 2014, then lost in the round of 16 in 2018 and 2022.
And Germany went out in the group stage in 2018 and 2022, and lost in the round of 32 this evening.
The territory battle map fits the theme of the evening.
Germany constantly pushing forward, and Paraguay happy to sit deep, absorb pressure and counter attack.
Germany clearly had the bigger chances, but were also limited to a number of more speculative efforts from outside the box.
The Paraguayan defence did a good job of double-teaming the Germany forwards every time they got the ball, and frustrating them into shooting from distance.
Paraguay's approach to sit back and defend it clear in the match stats.
25% possession, 0.4 xG and just 21% field tilt.
They did not want to go toe-to-toe with Germany, and it paid off.
Enciso was asked if he would prefer to face France or Sweden next:
💬 "I don't have a preference. With this team we can face anyone. The truth is that I'm so happy, let us enjoy this achievement today.
I love this country. We can take on anyone. France have star players, so do Sweden, so whoever we face we'll give everything."
Paraguay goalscorer Julio Enciso spoke after the game:
💬 "I dedicate this to my grandfather, for sure. I'm sure he will be proud. It is the best day of my life.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about today is him, it is a gift from God and from him.
I want to send him lots of love, to our country, to everyone. I am sure that is the best day for everyone else too.
I want to mention my teammates they are incredible."
Paraguay's shock victory over Germany today goes down as the fourth-biggest upset in a knockout-stage match at the World Cup in terms of FIFA's rankings, since those were introduced in 1992.
Above you can see five more of the biggest upsets. Hell of a run by South Korea, playing at home in 2002, to rip off two of these in back-to-back matches.
Former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann told CBS after the game:
💬 “If you look at the coaches, Nagelsmann, he never was a player. I don't even know the names of his assistant coaches … sometimes we have fantastic team managers like Beckenbauer, or Rudi Voller who was a player himself, or Klinsmann.
"Nagelsmann was the first one after 30-40 years who never played himself and neither did his staff.
"As a top quality player to come to the German national team and see guys who cannot talk you through details, because details are what matters when you want to progress, and when you want to have success in the game. If nobody tells you about details you are always second.”
No easy games for Paraguay…
After beating Germany this evening, they will now face either France or Sweden in the round of 16.
That tie will be played in Philadelphia on Saturday at 10pm ET.
Germany finally lost a World Cup penalty shootout.
Team Stats
GER
PAR
Game Details