Germany’s FIFA World Cup 2026 journey came to a dramatic end on Monday after Paraguay pulled off one of the biggest shocks in tournament history, defeating the four-time champions 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in their Round of 32 clash.
Paraguay took a surprise lead just before half-time when Julio Enciso headed home in the 42nd minute from a cross delivered by Matias Galarza, leaving Germany trailing at the break after a disappointing first-half display.
The Germans responded after the restart, with Kai Havertz restoring parity in the 53rd minute. The Arsenal forward met Florian Wirtz’s delivery from the flank with a glancing header to make it 1-1.
Germany thought they had completed the turnaround later in the match when Jonathan Tah found the net from a corner, but the goal was disallowed following a VAR review that ruled a foul had been committed on Paraguay goalkeeper Roberto Fernández.
With neither side able to find a winner during normal time or extra time, the contest was decided by a penalty shootout.
Germany’s hopes suffered an immediate setback when Havertz missed the opening kick. Nick Woltemade and Tah also failed from the spot, while Paraguay converted enough of their attempts to secure a 4-3 shootout victory despite missing two penalties themselves.
Jose Canale calmly scored the decisive kick to send the South Americans through.
Ranked 41st in the world before the tournament, Paraguay entered the match as heavy underdogs against a German side ranked 10th by FIFA.
The result is being viewed as one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history and arguably the biggest ever recorded in the knockout phase of the competition.
One of the closest comparisons came at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, when a Bulgaria side inspired by Hristo Stoichkov eliminated defending champions Germany in the quarter-finals. Bulgaria were ranked 29th in the world at the time, while Stoichkov went on to win the 1994 Ballon d’Or.
The defeat also marked Germany’s first-ever loss in a World Cup penalty shootout. Since lifting the trophy in 2014, the former champions have repeatedly fallen short in the knockout stages and are yet to reach the latter phases of the competition again.
Paraguay will now face either France or Sweden in the Round of 16 in Philadelphia on July 4 as they continue their remarkable World Cup campaign.
