Paraguay Pulls Off World Cup Stunner: Chases a Dream and Knocks Germany Out on Penalties

Paraguay made history in a big way at the FIFA World Cup. In an epic, historic, and unforgettable match, the Albirroja defeated four-time world champion Germany 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Although they struggled at various points in the match, Paraguay also managed to dictate the terms against a lackluster, slow, and not very dominant Germany, which time and again ran into the Paraguayan defensive wall set up by coach Gustavo Alfaro, who days earlier responded to harsh criticism from the Paraguayan press and fans following the 0-0 draw with Australia.

In the first half, Paraguay was clearly the better team. Havertz, the German center forward, was neutralized by the duo of Gustavo Gómez and José Canale. Wirtz, pinned on the left wing, was unable to make an impact on the game. Sané consistently lost his duels with Alonso, and Undav didn’t touch the ball. In contrast, Cubas, Galarza, and Bobadilla—Paraguay’s midfield—overwhelmed their German counterparts. Miguel Almirón, sent off the field in the match against Turkey due to a controversial refereeing decision, ran the entire length of the right wing until he was out of breath, and finally, Paraguay’s star player and best player, Julio Enciso, opened the scoring.

It came off a loose corner kick in the 41st minute. Germany wanted to launch a counterattack, but Cáceres dived to the ground, recovered the ball, and passed it to Almirón, who set up a great give-and-go with Galarza, allowing him to send a superb cross into the box—perfectly timed and met by Enciso, who found the back of the net for the first time in this tournament after having provided two assists in the group stage.

Germany, which looked exhausted—partly due to Paraguay’s tactics and the intense heat wave in Boston—made a tactical adjustment in the second half. The young German coach Nagelsmann brought Goretzka on at the start of the second half, attempting to apply more pressure in the box, but at the cost of reducing his own team’s clarity in midfield.

Paraguay, in fact, felt very comfortable in the match—perhaps too comfortable—because instead of taking advantage of the large spaces Germany was leaving at the back, they kept kicking the ball forward, inviting Germany to attack.

The Germans, though exhausted, began to grow desperate and resorted to the old “whatever it takes” tactic. That is, crosses into the box—a historic strength of Paraguay.

And it didn’t take long before a seemingly simple cross from the front was flicked on by Kai Havertz, tying the match at an unexpected moment. To make matters worse for Paraguay, minutes later their best forward, Enciso, went down with an injury after a tackle by defender Tah .

Enciso’s exit changed everything. Germany, though the situation remained unclear, dominated with crosses, and Paraguay could no longer mount counterattacks. Havertz himself, who had begun to get the better of Canale, nearly sealed the comeback with another header, but the star of the night, Orlando Gill, said “no” with a spectacular save that boosted his morale and that of his defense.

Paraguay held on, resisted, and sent the match into extra time. But Germany gained momentum, once again relying on crosses with Woltemade (1.98) and Musiala now on the field. Alfaro responded with a five-man backline, but the Europeans didn’t flinch and continued bombarding the Paraguayan box with long balls until, on a high corner kick, Jonathan Tah headed the ball in, dashing the hopes of more than seven million Paraguayans.

Just as everything seemed to be falling apart, VAR intervened. A German player had committed a clear foul on Gill, preventing the Paraguayan goalkeeper from making a save on the goal, which was ultimately disallowed.

In the second half of extra time, the game opened up. Alfaro broke up his five-man line, and Paraguay pushed forward more, but the score remained deadlocked, and the match went to a penalty shootout—unbreakable territory for Germany, which boasted one of the best goalkeepers in history, Manuel Neuer, and an incredible record: it had never lost a World Cup penalty shootout.

But there’s a first time for everything. The hero wasn’t Neuer; it was the Paraguayan Orlando Gill, who was criticized by José Luis Chilavert himself after the 1-4 loss to the United States.

Gill, who had kept his team in the game after the 1-1 tie, started by making a save. Kai Havertz, who had been his nemesis during the match, performed his classic pre-shot ritual, and the Paraguayan goalkeeper dove full-force to his left, making a clean save and giving his team the lead. Paraguay’s first three penalty takers, Mauricio, Gustavo Gómez, and Galarza, all converted their penalties. For Germany, Kimmich and Musiala stepped up, with Musiala’s shot nearly saved again by Gill.

Then it was Woltemade’s turn for the fourth penalty kick. Like Havertz, the German center forward slowed his run, and Gill guessed correctly once more and made the save, leaving Paraguay with three points from the match.

Job done? Not by a long shot. Sanabria, who had made a strong impact off the bench, missed his penalty; Germany scored; and Neuer, the giant, made a save against the newly substituted Balbuena.

Paraguay was crumbling. The dream was fading. Tah was set to take the kick and seal Germany’s victory. The ball sailed high, very high. Straight into the stands. Everything came down to José Canale, a defender for Argentina’s Lanús, who beat Neuer with a left-footed strike and gave Paraguay the most important victory in its sporting history.

Now the streets of the historic center of Asunción are bursting with joy. The fireworks are reminiscent of New Year’s Eve; the president announced a national holiday, and Paraguayans are celebrating by raising their red-and-white flag.

Report written from Asunción