Key Points
- Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32.
- Julio Enciso scored in the 42nd minute; Kai Havertz equalized in the 54th.
- VAR annulled Jonathan Tah's extra-time goal for a foul in the buildup.
- It was the first penalty shootout Germany have lost at a World Cup.
Paraguay eliminated Germany from the 2026 World Cup, winning 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 32.
Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead in the 42nd minute before Kai Havertz leveled for Germany in the 54th, ESPN reported. In extra time, VAR annulled a Jonathan Tah corner-kick goal after ruling a foul in the buildup, Al Jazeera reported. In the shootout, Havertz missed the opening kick and Germany missed three in all — Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Tah — while José Canale converted Paraguay's decisive penalty.
It was the first time Germany have lost a penalty shootout at a World Cup, a reversal of the country's long reputation for ruthlessness from the spot. A four-time champion going out in the round of 32 — on penalties, no less — is the kind of upset the expanded 48-team bracket was built to make room for. Paraguay had already shown its bite earlier in the tournament, advancing despite Miguel Almirón's red card under FIFA's new celebration rule.
Paraguay advances to face the winner of France–Sweden in the Round of 16 in Philadelphia on July 4, as the knockout bracket continues to take shape.
Source: Al Jazeera, ESPN.
Comments