Paraguay produced one of the biggest upsets of the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, eliminating tournament favourites Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout after an enthralling 1-1 draw following extra time.
The South Americans held their nerve from the spot to send Julian Nagelsmann’s side crashing out, capping a resilient performance that frustrated one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Paraguay struck first in the 42nd minute when Julio Enciso fired them into the lead after being set up by Matías Galarza, leaving Germany trailing at half-time.
Germany responded strongly after the restart and restored parity in the 54th minute. Kai Havertz finished clinically after excellent work from Florian Wirtz to bring the Europeans back into the contest.
Both teams created chances in a fiercely contested encounter, but neither could find a decisive breakthrough in normal time, forcing the match into extra time.
The additional 30 minutes proved equally tense, with Germany seeing a Jonathan Tah effort ruled out following a VAR review in the 102nd minute. Tempers also flared on the touchline, with both coaches, Julian Nagelsmann and Gustavo Alfaro, booked shortly before the interval in extra time.
Despite late opportunities for Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Galarza, the deadlock remained intact, sending the tie to a nerve-jangling penalty shootout.
Havertz, Joshua Kimmich and Musiala all converted for Germany, while Mauricio, Gustavo Gómez and Matías Galarza replied for Paraguay. However, Germany’s hopes were dashed when Nick Woltemade failed to convert before Antonio Sanabria calmly kept Paraguay’s advantage intact.
Nadiem Amiri converted Germany’s final penalty, but it was not enough to prevent an early exit as Paraguay completed a famous victory to book their place in the last 16.
The result marks one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, with Paraguay knocking out one of football’s traditional heavyweights to continue their remarkable World Cup campaign.
Top Performer: Julio Enciso (Paraguay) – The forward opened the scoring and posed a constant threat with his pace, creativity and composure on the biggest stage.