In a thrilling World Cup encounter on Monday in Massachusetts, Paraguay secured a 4-3 victory over Germany in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. Jose Canale converted the decisive penalty, capitalizing on misses from Germany’s Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah. Paraguay will now face either France or Sweden in the tournament’s last 16.
This marks Paraguay’s first knockout-stage win at the World Cup since their quarter-final run in 2010. Despite Germany’s dominance in possession throughout the match, their inability to convert chances proved costly.
Germany, who controlled the ball for the majority of the game, struggled to create clear opportunities. Notably, Deniz Undav made his first start of the tournament, yet Germany failed to register a single shot on target in the opening half. Paraguay took the lead when Julio Enciso scored with a header following a well-coordinated move involving Miguel Almiron, netting Paraguay’s first goal in a World Cup knockout match.
Germany responded in the 54th minute as Kai Havertz headed in a cross from Florian Wirtz to level the score. During extra time, Jonathan Tah appeared to have scored a winning goal for Germany, but it was disallowed after a VAR review identified a foul on the goalkeeper.
In a significant development, Germany’s World Cup journey ended prematurely once again, following early exits in 2018 and 2022. Captain Joshua Kimmich acknowledged that the team deserved elimination after failing to overcome Paraguay over the extended match. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed disappointment, stating that the squad was not up to the standard required to contend for a fifth World Cup title.
Paraguay captain Gustavo Gomez emphasized the team’s determination, saying they had to give their all to secure the victory. This result propels Paraguay into the last 16 and concludes Germany’s campaign in the tournament.
