Paraguay eliminated tournament favorites Germany following intense penalty kicks
Paraguay pulled off a stunning upset by knocking Germany out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the Round of 32. After a tense 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, the South American squad triumphed 4-3 in a thrilling penalty shootout.
Orlando Gill stepped up as the star of the match. He successfully blocked penalty attempts from Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade. Jonathan Tah also failed to score his penalty for the German side. Meanwhile, Jose Canale easily netted the winning sudden-death shot. This result sends Julian Nagelsmann's team home early. This marks another dark chapter for German football, as they previously suffered shocking early group-stage exits in both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Earlier in the game, Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead just before half-time. Havertz then levelled the score with a header early in the second half. Germany thought they had secured a victory when Tah scored late in extra time. However, officials ruled out the goal for a foul after reviewing the video replay. Paraguay maintained perfect focus under pressure. They converted all their crucial kicks to secure a historic spot in the Round of 16.
Paraguay - goalkeeper Orlando Gill
Image Courtesy: ANI
