Paraguay stun Germany on penalties to eliminate four-time champions

In one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, Paraguay knocked out Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw after extra time. The South American side, ranked 34th in the world, showed incredible resilience to hold the four-time champions at bay and eventually prevail 4–3 in the shootout, sending the German squad packing in the Round of 32 for the third consecutive World Cup.

Paraguay took a shock lead just before halftime when Julio Enciso headed home a brilliant cross from Matias Galarza, marking the nation's first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match. Germany responded early in the second half when Kai Havertz equalized with a powerful header from Florian Wirtz's delivery. The Germans thought they had won it in extra time when Jonathan Tah scored from a corner, but the goal was controversially ruled out by VAR for a foul on the Paraguayan goalkeeper.

The match went to a penalty shootout, where Germany's historic perfect record—having won all four previous World Cup shootouts—came to a crashing end. Havertz and Nick Woltemade missed their spot-kicks early on, and although Germany clawed their way back, Tah blasted his attempt over the crossbar in the sixth round. That allowed José Canale to step up and smash home the decisive penalty, sending Paraguay into the Round of 16 and sparking scenes of pure ecstasy on the Gillette Stadium pitch.