Paraguay pulled off one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history by eliminating four-time champions Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash.
Germany struggled to find their rhythm in the opening half and fell behind just before the break when Julio Enciso fired Paraguay into the lead in the 42nd minute.
The Germans responded after halftime, with Kai Havertz equalising eight minutes into the second half to breathe life back into their campaign.
Germany thought they had completed the turnaround when they found the net from a corner, but the goal was disallowed following a VAR review for a foul on Paraguay’s goalkeeper.
With neither side able to find a winner through the remainder of normal time or extra time, the match was decided from the penalty spot.
Germany’s hopes took an early blow when Havertz missed the opening penalty. They went on to miss three of their five spot-kicks, while Paraguay converted four despite missing two of their own, sealing a famous 4-3 shootout victory.
Ranked 10th in the FIFA world rankings before the tournament, Germany entered the match as overwhelming favourites against Paraguay, who were 41st in the world.
The stunning result is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history and arguably the greatest ever in the knockout stage. It eclipses Germany’s famous quarter-final defeat to Bulgaria at the 1994 World Cup, when Hristo Stoichkov inspired the underdogs to eliminate the defending champions. Bulgaria were ranked 29th in the world at the time, while Stoichkov would go on to win the Ballon d’Or later that year.
The defeat also marked Germany’s first-ever penalty shootout loss at a World Cup. It extends a remarkable run of disappointment, with the four-time champions still waiting for their first appearance beyond the Round of 16 since lifting the trophy in 2010.
