For this second round-of-32 fixture of the evening, the Germans and Paraguayans took their time to find a breakthrough. Everything was ultimately decided in a penalty shootout, delivering the first massive shock of this 2026 World Cup: Germany has been knocked out (1-1, 3-4 on pens).
The round-of-32 action continued this Monday. Following a suspense-filled clash between Brazil and Japan (2-1), Germany took on Paraguay. This encounter determined the upcoming opponent for either France or Sweden on July 4 in Philadelphia. For a match that seemed highly manageable on paper for the Nationalelf, Julian Nagelsmann opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring his usual stars. Manuel Neuer remained between the posts, while Antonio Rudiger stepped in for the injured Nico Schlotterbeck. The rest was standard fare, or nearly so, with an attacking frontline composed of Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane, and the team’s top tournament scorer, Deniz Undav. Jamal Musiala was left on the bench in favor of Sane. Opposite them, Paraguay deployed a 4-4-2 lineup, notably welcoming back Miguel Almiron—the initial casualty of the “Vinicius rule”—who had been suspended following a red card against Turkey.
The game started at a frantic pace, forcing an early save from Neuer off a corner kick following a marking error by Nmecha (2nd minute). Afterward? Very little occurred. During a rather tedious first half, the Germans controlled possession, spending 50% of their time in the opponent’s final 40 meters. However, they lacked ideas on the ball. By the first cooling break, only two off-target attempts had been registered, leaving a dismal attacking record. On the other side, Paraguay executed their game plan flawlessly. Teammates of Strasbourg’s Enciso defended tightly, bringing massive intensity to every challenge, while several German players (including Nmecha and Brown) looked entirely overwhelmed. Aggressive in the best sense of the word, the Paraguayans relied on Almiron and Enciso to make the difference—two diminutive, fiercely determined attackers hunting down every ball.
————-Tah: A Disallowed Goal and a Fatal Penalty Miss
Lacking imagination, Germany was caught off guard just before the interval during a sequence that perfectly encapsulated the first half. After clearing a direct corner kick, Neuer watched Havertz attempt a counterattack, only to be immediately dispossessed by an opponent tracking back with a sliding tackle. The ball broke to Galarza Fonda, whose cross was successfully headed home by Enciso (0-1, 43rd minute), who found himself completely unmarked in the center of the German defense. The Strasbourg asset scored his very first goal of this World Cup, while Germany extended a streak of ten consecutive matches conceding at least once. Returning from the locker room, Nmecha logically made way for Goretzka. Trailing behind, the Germans understandably pushed forward with immense pressure from the restart, despite a brief scare when Enciso closed down Kimmich and Neuer (49th minute). Paraguay was restricted to under 30% possession and weathered wave after wave of opposition attacks. The script for the remainder of the match was set: Germany pressed relentlessly while Paraguay looked to counter, occasionally unsettling the towering German defenders waiting for crosses in the penalty area. The breakthrough finally arrived before the hour mark. Off a delivery from Wirtz, Havertz clinical deflected it with his head (1-1, 54th minute). Two minutes later, Jamal Musiala’s teammates had a double opportunity to take the lead, but the Paraguayan backline threw body and soul into blocking the German efforts (56th minute). Twenty minutes later, another chance emerged, but this time goalkeeper Gill stretched out to deny a header from Havertz (78th minute). At the conclusion of the regulation 90 minutes, both teams headed into extra time, though Germany had achieved the bare minimum by showing the character required to equalize despite a highly disorganized attacking strategy.
During the 30 additional minutes, tension naturally spiked between both squads, particularly on the German bench. Two specific incidents left Nagelsmann completely furious. In the 97th minute, Nick Woltemade managed to control and strike the ball inside the box, but his shot was blocked by Gomez’s arm. The four-time world champions loudly demanded a penalty, but to no avail. Five minutes later, Jonathan Tah believed he had rescued his country by heading home a Havertz corner at the far post. It was at this moment that the referee delivered the ultimate dampener, disallowing the goal after VAR flagged a foul by Anton on Gill (102nd minute). The Germans were irate, while Gill pulled off another crucial stop from a Havertz header (105th minute). As time slipped away, the dreaded penalty shootout loomed closer. Anton thought he might secure hero status on the final corner of extra time, but Gill remained vigilant (119th minute). The outcome was ultimately decided from the penalty spot. In this high-stakes lottery, the Germans counted on their veteran icon Neuer to carry them to the next round. Unfortunately for them, things started poorly with a miss from Havertz. Later, Woltemade also failed to convert. Yet, the shootout was packed with drama; Sanabria and Balbuena squandered two match points, notably due to a stellar save from Neuer. Germany pulled level and seemed poised to turn the tide. However, Tah missed his attempt, and Canale sent his team into absolute euphoria (1-1, 3-4 on pens). In the subsequent round, Paraguay will face either France or Sweden.