Paraguay knock Germany out of World Cup on penalties
Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw, ending the four-time champions’ 2026 World Cup in the round of 32.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Paraguay eliminated Germany from the 2026 World Cup on Monday, winning 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 32, Al Jazeera reported. The result ended the campaign of a four-time champion and sent the lower-ranked South American side into the next round.
Al Jazeera described the defeat as potentially the biggest upset in World Cup knockout history. Germany entered the tournament ranked 10th by FIFA, while Paraguay were 41st, according to the rankings cited by Al Jazeera.
Enciso puts Paraguay ahead
Paraguay took the lead late in the first half through Julio Enciso, who scored with a header in the 42nd minute, Al Jazeera reported. Germany, according to the outlet, produced a flat first-half performance and went into the interval behind.
Kai Havertz brought Germany level eight minutes after the restart, Al Jazeera reported. The forward, who helped Arsenal win the English Premier League this season after a 22-year wait, later had a central role in the shootout.
Germany thought they had scored again from a corner, but the goal was overturned following a VAR review because of a foul on Paraguay’s goalkeeper, according to Al Jazeera. Neither side found a winner through the rest of regulation time or extra time, sending the match to penalties.
Germany falter from the spot
Havertz missed Germany’s first attempt in the shootout, Al Jazeera reported. Germany missed three penalties overall, while Paraguay failed with two of their own before winning 4-3.
The loss was Germany’s first defeat in a World Cup penalty shootout, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also reported that Germany have now failed to reach the last 16 since winning the tournament in 2014.
Al Jazeera compared the result with Germany’s 1994 World Cup quarterfinal loss to Bulgaria in the United States. That match, the outlet reported, saw the defending champions beaten by a Bulgaria team led by Hristo Stoichkov, who was playing for Barcelona and later won the 1994 Ballon d’Or.
Bulgaria were ranked 29th in the world at the time of that 1994 win, according to Al Jazeera. Paraguay’s win came with a wider rankings gap, adding to the scale of Germany’s exit as described by the outlet.
The defeat leaves Germany out before the last 16 of the expanded 2026 tournament. Paraguay, after surviving a shootout in which both teams missed multiple penalties, advanced from one of the competition’s most consequential early knockout matches.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.