Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw to progress to the last 16 and dump Die Mannschaft out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The contest quickly fell into a pattern that would go on to mark the majority of the first half, with Paraguay defending deep on the edge of their own box, frustrating a Germany side who lacked a cutting edge to break through.
By the time the first hydration break rolled around, Germany had 83% possession and had completed 170 passes compared to Paraguay’s 21, although they failed to register a single shot on target.
Paraguay, who had defended brilliantly all half, took a shock lead in the 42nd minute thanks to a header from Julio Enciso.
The ball was fed back to Miguel Almiron following his corner, with the former Newcastle United man then slipping in Matias Galarza down the right-hand side and he sent a cross into the box and Enciso was on hand to head home Paraguay’s first goal in the knockout stages of a World Cup.