Julio Enciso heads Paraguay ahead against Germany in World Cup upset bid

Julio Enciso headed Paraguay into a 1-0 lead over Germany in Boston after Manuel Neuer punched away a corner and the loose ball stayed alive. The finish came in the first half of their World Cup 2026 round-of-16 match and put Gustavo Alfaro’s side in front against a four-time champion that suddenly had to react.

Miguel Almirón kept the move alive after the German clearance, recovered the ball and shifted it behind Nathaniel Brown to Matías Galarza Fonda. Galarza then delivered the cross that Enciso met with a header into Neuer’s net, completing a quick sequence that turned Germany’s escape into Paraguay’s opening goal.

The strike came 41 minutes into a first half built on pressure and timing. Paraguay had pressed aggressively around the German box, and one loose ball after Neuer’s punch became the moment that changed the match’s rhythm. Germany, which had been expected to control the tie, was left chasing the game as Paraguay celebrated a lead with immediate knockout-round value.

The setting added another layer to the goal. Germany and Paraguay were meeting again 24 years after their clash at Korea and Japan 2002, giving the Boston encounter a sense of unfinished business as well as high stakes. For Paraguay, the sequence offered more than a scoreline edge: it was a clean example of how Alfaro’s team used a fast transition and width on the right side to punish a heavyweight that had failed to clear its lines.