Paraguay delivered one of the biggest shocks of the 2026 World Cup on Monday, eliminating four-time champions Germany in a tense penalty shootout to advance after a dramatic Round of 32 battle.
José Canale had not started either of Paraguay’s previous two matches at the World Cup, but he made his first appearance in the starting lineup a historic one.
Canale converted the first sudden-death penalty, while Orlando Gill produced two crucial saves in the shootout as Paraguay defeated Germany 4-3 on penalties Monday, securing the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup so far.
The victory marked a landmark achievement for Paraguay, a landlocked South American nation of about 7 million people surrounded by football powerhouses Argentina and Brazil. It also continued Germany’s recent struggles on the world stage, with the four-time champions suffering another early elimination after failing to repeat their 2014 triumph.
“I think we deserved one more game and to be honest, considering everything that was said, everything we went through,” Canale said. “What I want to highlight from our team is how united we are. … Today was a game we really needed to show our true colors.”
Celebrations erupted across Paraguay, particularly in the capital Asunción, where fans filled the streets with chants, embraces and tears of joy after the final whistle. Supporters dropped to their knees in disbelief as the team anthem “Soy Albirrojo” echoed through the celebrations.
Paraguay became the first team to defeat Germany in a World Cup penalty shootout. The Germans missed three of their six attempts, with Jonathan Tah’s effort in the first sudden-death round sailing over the crossbar and allowing Canale to seal the victory. Tah’s miss came after German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had saved Fabian Balbuena’s penalty, which could have ended the contest in Paraguay’s favor.
Tah also appeared to have scored the winning goal during extra time after heading in Nathaniel Brown’s corner in the 102nd minute. However, after a video review, officials ruled that Waldemar Anton had pushed Gill before the header, leading to the goal being disallowed.
The Round of 32 encounter finished 1-1 after extra time. Paraguay opened the scoring late in the first half through Julio Enciso’s header, before Kai Havertz restored parity for Germany in the 52nd minute.
“We had to analyze every player, every detail. Thanks to that I was able to only miss two penalties,” Gill said. “This is for all the people of Paraguay.”
Ranked 41st by FIFA before the match, Paraguay became the biggest betting outsider to win a game at this World Cup. Germany entered the tournament ranked No. 10 in the world.
Paraguay will meet the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia. A victory in that match, which will take place on the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, would send Paraguay to Foxborough for a quarterfinal clash on July 9.
Germany had previously won six of seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments, including six consecutive victories since their defeat by Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final.
“It’s not enough for German football,” coach Julian Nagelsmann said.
The result avenged Paraguay’s only previous World Cup meeting with Germany, when the Germans won 1-0 in the 2002 round of 16. Nearly 25 years later, Paraguay delivered revenge on football’s biggest stage.
Before Monday’s victory, Paraguay had played five previous knockout matches at the World Cup without scoring in any of them. The team had progressed only once before, advancing on penalties against Japan in the round of 16 at the 2010 tournament in South Africa before losing to eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals.
For Germany, the defeat marked their first knockout-stage appearance since winning the 2014 final against Argentina in Brazil. The Germans had been eliminated during the group stage at the previous two World Cups.
“We had very big plans for this World Cup. It’s very difficult to disappoint again,” Havertz said. “It was difficult to create chances and keep the pace.”
Paraguay broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute after a smooth attacking move created space for Enciso. Miguel Almirón split Germany defenders Aleksandar Pavlovic and Nathaniel Brown with a left-footed pass to Matías Galarza, who delivered a cross that found Enciso unmarked. The forward headed the ball beyond Neuer to give Paraguay the lead.
Germany responded after halftime when Havertz met a cross from Florian Wirtz and redirected it past Gill with a header to level the score.
Despite controlling much of the match, Germany struggled to break down Paraguay’s disciplined 4-5-1 defensive formation. The Germans dominated possession with 78% of the ball in the first half but could not create enough clear opportunities.
Paraguay entered the match without defender Omar Alderete, who suffered an injury during the team’s 0-0 draw with Australia. Canale was selected as his replacement in the starting lineup.
Paraguay began the tournament with a 4-1 defeat against the United States before responding with a 1-0 win over Turkey despite playing the entire second half with 10 men. A goalless draw against Australia secured their place in the knockout stage as the third-place team from Group D.
