Germany have been knocked out of the 2026 World Cup in the round of 32 after a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay (1-1, 4-3 on penalties). The match exposed the same deficiencies that have plagued the Nationalmannschaft throughout the tournament, marking yet another early exit for the Germans, who failed to advance past the group stage in the previous two editions. Paraguay now await the winner of France vs Sweden in the last 16.
The contrast was striking: Paraguay’s players danced in front of their bench, turning to the stands where hundreds of their supporters celebrated wildly. The Germans, meanwhile, huddled in their technical area, some lying on the ground with their faces in their hands. Germany’s World Cup ended in the round of 32 after a match of rare mediocrity, though it delivered drama in the penalty shootout (1-1, 4-3 on penalties).
The expected dynamic set in from the start: Germany dominated possession, holding over 80% of the ball, but struggled to create clear chances. At times it resembled a giant-killing cup tie, and Paraguay stunned the stadium by taking the lead through Enciso in the 42nd minute. Julian Nagelsmann made just one change at halftime, bringing on Goretzka for Nmecha, and Germany quickly equalised through Havertz in the 54th minute.
But overall, they did too little to trouble Paraguay, aside from another Havertz header in the 78th minute and one from Goretzka in the 86th. In extra time, they thought they had found a winner when Tah turned in a corner from Brown in the 102nd minute, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review. The match went to penalties, and in that discipline, Paraguay proved more composed and mentally stronger to secure their place in the next round.
Player of the match: José Canale (Paraguay)
It took nerves of steel in a roller-coaster penalty shootout. After Paraguay missed two match points, José Canale stepped up with another chance. The centre-back held his nerve to send his country through to the last 16 (1-1, 4-3 on penalties). He had already been flawless alongside captain Gustavo Gomez in an impenetrable central defensive partnership, breached only once by Havertz (54th). Canale handled the varied attacking threats of Undav, Havertz, and Woltemade with composure, before becoming his team’s hero.
What’s next: Paraguay could face France
Could France meet Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16? If Les Bleus beat Sweden on Tuesday, they would face the South Americans in a replay of their 1998 encounter at the Stade Bollaert in Lens. Aimé Jacquet’s men needed extra time to overcome Paraguay, winning thanks to a Laurent Blanc golden goal – a rule since abolished.
