Paraguay is moving on in the 2026 World Cup after defeating Germany in incredibly dramatic fashion. After stunning the Germans with an early goal, the Albirroja held on to a 1-1 score line to stun the four-time World Cup champions and send them home.
Germany, who entered the match as the favorite, fought back for a second-half equalizer, but could not break through the Paraguayan defense despite numerous chances and a whopping 16 corner kicks.
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Germany had the upper hand throughout most of the game, but especially the first half, holding more possession and putting the ball into the opposing box more often. But it was Paraguay who ended up striking first, stunning Germany with a goal in the 42nd minute.
A second-chance attempt off a corner kick lead to a perfect header from Julio Enciso to give Paraguay a surprising 1-0 lead.
With a renewed energy in the second half, the DFB-Team was able to get an equalizer in the 54th minute behind a perfect glancing header from Kai Havertz.
With the game back level, Germany continued to put pressure on Paraguay in the attacking third, but simply couldn’t connect for a goal. The Albirroja defense had a whopping eight blocks to keep the Germans’ shots from connecting, and goalkeeper Orlando Gill had a sensational game with six total saves.
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As a result, the game headed to extra time, giving both teams another 30 minutes to try and find the go-ahead goal. And in the 102nd minute, it seemed like they’d finally found it, as German defender Jonathan Tah rose above the defense for a decisive header.
But VAR review overturned the goal, citing a foul that Waldemar Anton committed on Gill to impede his ability to make a save. The somewhat soft foul call kept the game level and returned the ball back to Paraguay.
The remaining 20-plus minutes of extra time wasn’t enough for either team to find a deciding goal, sending the game into a penalty shootout.
Gill used every mind game in the book, taking a quick walk around the field to keep Havertz waiting before the first kick. And it seemed to work: Gill leaned the correct direction and was able to deny Havertz to start the shootout on a strong note for Paraguay.
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Gill then got another save, this time on Nick Woltemade, to put Paraguay on the brink of advancing. But Paraguay’s Antonio Sanabria, who took the next kick, sent his penalty wide left, keeping Germany’s hopes alive.
Germany’s Nadiem Amiri then nailed his kick, leaving it up to German keeper Manuel Neuer to get the block on Fabián Balbuena — and he does, sending the penalty round to sudden death.
But Tah, whose goal was called back earlier, took the next penalty kick and absolutely skied it. That left José Canale with the chance to win it all for Paraguay, leading the team to glory and dispatching one of the World Cup favorites.
This story will be updated.
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