Paraguay stun Germany on penalties to reach World Cup
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- Jose Canale converted the decisive penalty to seal Paraguay's 4-3 shootout win over Germany after a 1-1 deadlock through extra time, sparking euphoric celebrations at the Boston Stadium
- Germany suffered their first-ever World Cup elimination via penalties — having previously won all four shootouts at the tournament — and only their second shootout failure at a major tournament after Euro 1976
- Paraguay entered the knockout stage having averaged just 0.78 goals per game in qualifying (joint-lowest of any qualifier) and had not reached a World Cup knockout round since 2014
- Germany dominated the statistical battle with 75% possession, 719 passes to Paraguay's 161, and 21 shots to Paraguay's 7, but Havertz and Woltemade both missed their penalties
- Gustavo Alfaro, the 63-year-old Argentine manager who took charge six games into qualifying, guided Paraguay to just one defeat in 12 matches to reach the tournament
- Santiago Pena declared a national public holiday for Tuesday, June 30, to commemorate the victory, calling it the team's "epic" advance to the round of 16
Why it matters: This result instantly becomes one of the biggest World Cup upsets of the modern era — a team with the joint-lowest scoring rate in qualifying knocking out a four-time champion through sheer defensive discipline (7 shots faced vs 21). Paraguay's president moved within hours to declare a second national holiday, underscoring the cultural weight of a country that hadn't even qualified for a World Cup since 2010 advancing past the group stage for the first time in 12 years.
