Tuesday (June 30) witnessed the biggest upset of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Boston Stadium, as Paraguay knocked four-time champions Germany out of the tournament in a penalty shootout during the Round of 32. Prior to this, Germany had never lost a penalty shootout in FIFA World Cup history.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw after regular time. Julio Enciso gave Paraguay the lead with a header late in the first half, but Kai Havertz equalized for Germany in the 52nd minute.
Subsequently, Jonathan Tah scored during extra time. He headed the ball into the net from a corner kick by Nathaniel Brown in the 102nd minute; however, a video review revealed that Waldemar Anton had pushed an opponent down prior to the shot, leading officials to disallow the goal. Neither team managed to score thereafter, sending the match to a penalty shootout.
Paraguay won the thrilling shootout 4-3, securing their place in the Round of 16. In doing so, they became the first team to defeat Germany in a World Cup penalty shootout. The German team missed three of their six penalty attempts.
It is worth noting that in the only previous World Cup encounter between these two teams—during the Round of 16 of the 2002 tournament—Germany had defeated Paraguay 1-0. Nearly 24 years later, Paraguay exacted their revenge.
This marked another shocking defeat for Germany, as the four-time champions have struggled in the World Cup since last winning the trophy in 2014.
Heading into the match, Paraguay was ranked 41st in the FIFA rankings, whereas Germany had entered the tournament as the world’s 10th-ranked team. Paraguay will now face the winner of the match between France and Sweden—scheduled for Tuesday—in the Round of 16 in Philadelphia on Saturday.
