Paraguay Stun Germany on Penalties to Reach World Cup Last 16

The match was a study in contrasting styles. Under the veteran Argentinian coach Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay sat deep in a disciplined 4–5–1 that frustrated Germany, who dominated possession and passing but struggled to create clear chances. Against the run of play, Julio Enciso, a former Premier League forward with Brighton and Ipswich, headed Paraguay into a shock lead in the 42nd minute. Germany improved after half-time and equalised on 54 minutes, when Kai Havertz met a whipped cross from Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz with a glancing header. The Germans pressed for a winner in extra time and thought they had found it when Jonathan Tah headed home in the 103rd minute, only for the goal to be disallowed after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review judged that Waldemar Anton had fouled goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

The shootout laid bare Germany's fragility. Havertz and substitute Nick Woltemade both saw their kicks saved by Gill, while 40-year-old Manuel Neuer denied Fabián Balbuena and Antonio Sanabria also missed for Paraguay. The decisive errors were German: Tah blazed his sudden-death effort high over the bar before José Canale calmly converted to send Paraguay into the last sixteen, where they will face the winner of France against Sweden in Philadelphia on July 4. The defeat intensified scrutiny of Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, with the Guardian reporting that former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, a pundit at this tournament, is widely seen as a potential successor. For Paraguay, whose substitutes streamed onto the pitch at the final kick, it was a night to celebrate as the finest in their World Cup history.