Paraguay knocks out Germany on penalties, reaches World Cup round of 16

Paraguay outlasted Germany on penalties in Boston and moved into the World Cup round of 16, with Andrés Cubas framing the result as a victory built on discipline, conviction and a goalkeeper's decisive performance. The knockout tie came on Monday, June 29, 2026, after Paraguay had advanced as one of the best third-place teams from the group stage.

The setting matched the scale of the upset. FIFA said the Boston stadium was ready to host seven World Cup matches, part of the first 48-team tournament staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Paraguay arrived as an underdog with structure, not noise, while Germany came in carrying the burden of restoring its standing after two consecutive first-round eliminations.

Cubas said the win carried double merit because Paraguay beat a heavyweight and did it in a game that demanded control, patience and nerve in the shootout. He praised Roberto Fernández's work in goal and dedicated the victory to his family and to Paraguay's supporters, turning the result into a collective one rather than a personal celebration. That tone fit a team that had already made its way into the bracket by surviving the group stage as one of the best third-place sides.

The matchup also reopened a World Cup memory that Paraguay had not forgotten. Germany and Paraguay had met only once before at the tournament, in Seogwipo, South Korea, in 2002, when Germany finally broke Paraguay's resistance late for a 1-0 win. FIFA's own historical note on the tie underscored how long Paraguay had waited for another chance to reverse that outcome.

Germany entered this edition under pressure to recover its usual place among the tournament powers, and Paraguay met that test with a compact defensive shape and a clear plan for a long night. The shootout rewarded a side that stayed organized against a more decorated opponent and turned a difficult draw into a place in the last 16.