Jose Canale scored on the first sudden death penalty kick, Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, and Paraguay upset Germany 4-3 on penalties Monday to earn the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup so far.
The round of 16 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Paraguay had gone in front when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half. Kai Havertz equalized in the 52nd minute for four-time champion Germany.
Paraguay will next face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden on July 4 in the round of 16 in Philadelphia. A win in that match would land them back in Foxborough for a quarterfinal match on July 9.
Germany had won six of seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments, including six straight since losing to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final.
In the only previous World Cup match between the teams, Germany beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 tournament. Nearly a quarter-century later, Paraguay has its revenge.
Paraguay had appeared in five previous knockout games but failed to score in each. It advanced only once in those previous occasions, winning on penalty kicks against Japan in the round of 16 at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. It fell that year to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals.
Monday was Germany’s first knockout game since the 2014 final in Brazil when the Germans beat Argentina 1-0 to capture their fourth World Cup title.
On Monday, Germany appeared to take a 2-1 lead in the 102nd minute when Jonathan Tah headed in a corner kick by Nathaniel Brown that was just above the reach of Gill. But a video review ruled that Waldemar Anton has pushed Gill to the ground before the shot and the goal was disallowed. (JapanToday)
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