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.
Germany thought they had taken the lead in extra time when Jonathan Tah headed home from a corner in the 102nd minute. But after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a foul on Paraguary goalkeeper Gill by Waldemar Anton.
Gill appeared to go to ground easily and did get back on his feet by the time Tah got his head to the ball.
England great Alan Shearer said it was a “very, very soft.”
“Not for me, I don’t agree with that decision at all,” he said on BBC.
“He falls to the ground far too easy. Yes, there’s contact, but it’s a contact sport. There are 13 bodies in the six-yard box, not for me.
“I don’t agree with that. The ‘keeper buys it. Very, very soft, that is, very soft.”
In the shootout, Havertz’s opening spot kick was saved by Gill to give Paraguay the early advantage. When Woltemade’s attempt was saved, Paraguay needed to just make one of their next two penalty kicks to progress.
But they incredibly missed both to leave the shootout all square at 3-3 after five attempts.
Tah then stepped up and blasted his attempt horribly over the bar before Canale slotted home the winner.
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.
— with 7NEWS.com.au
