Paraguay has defeated Germany 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in their dramatic FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match.
Germany and Paraguay headed to penalty kicks after 120 minutes of playing 1-1.
And it took the "sudden death" penalty to knock out the Germans.
After a scoreless extra-time period—which included a controversial German goal disallowed by VAR for a foul on the goalkeeper—the game went to a shootout, where Paraguay prevailed 4–3 after six kicks.
Penalty Shootout Breakdown
(Paraguay won 4-3)
Germany misses: Kai Havertz (missed), Nick Woltemade (missed), Jonathan Tah (missed).
Germany goals: Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Nadiem Amiri.
Paraguay misses: Antonio Sanabria (missed), Fabián Balbuena (missed).
Paraguay goals: Maurício, Gustavo Gómez, Matías Galarza, José Canale (winning penalty)
Paraguay went in front when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half. Kai Havertz equalized in the 52nd minute for Germany.
And with the score in the knockout round still even after extra time, a penalty shootout was to decide which team advances to the next round.
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 Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. But a video review ruled that Waldemar Anton pushed Gill to the ground before the shot and the goal was disallowed.
In the only previous World Cup match between the teams, Germany beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 tournament.
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 were ranked number 10 in world by the game’s governing body FIFA entering the tournament, while Paraguay were ranked 41st.
The defeats is arguably the greatest upset in World Cup knockout football, surpassing another German defeat at USA 1994, when a Hristo Stoichkov-inspired Bulgaria knocked out the defending champions in the quarterfinals.
Stoichkov, then a Barcelona player, had been named Ballon d’Or winner for 1994, while Bulgaria were ranked 29 in the world at the time.
It was the Germans first defeat on penalties at a World Cup, and they have now failed to reach the last-16 since they last won the competition in 2010.
