Paraguay has declared a national holiday to commemorate its recent World Cup victory against Germany, a result that propelled the South American team into the round of 16. President Santiago Peña announced the holiday for Tuesday, following the team’s surprising win on Monday.
The match, held in Foxborough, Massachusetts, saw Paraguay triumph over the four-time world champions in a penalty shootout, ending 4-3 after the game concluded 1-1 following extra time. This outcome is being recognized as one of the most significant upsets in World Cup history.
President Peña shared his sentiments on social media, stating that the entire country was celebrating. He highlighted the team’s representation of the national identity, emphasizing grit, faith, and the strength of people who persevere. The decree, also shared by Peña, underscored that the victory transcended sports, justifying a nationwide celebration and noting that the government could not remain indifferent to such a substantial achievement. The declaration aims to facilitate the gathering of all Paraguayans to celebrate this historic day.
A memorable upset
José Canale, who had not started in his two previous appearances for Paraguay in this World Cup, made his first start a memorable one. He scored the winning goal in the first sudden-death penalty kick, contributing to the 4-3 shootout victory. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill also played a crucial role, making two key saves during the shootout.
This win marks a significant achievement for the landlocked South American nation, which has a population of 7 million and is surrounded by football powerhouses like Argentina and Brazil. Canale expressed the team’s deservingness of another game, highlighting their unity and the need to demonstrate their true capabilities. Germany, ranked 10th globally, missed three of their six penalty attempts, with Jonathan Tah sending his shot high over the crossbar in the sudden-death round. This miss set the stage for Canale‘s decisive penalty.
Earlier in the shootout, German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had saved an attempt by Fabian Balbuena, which could have secured the win for Paraguay. During extra time, Tah believed he had scored a go-ahead goal in the 102nd minute from a corner kick by Nathaniel Brown, but officials disallowed it after a video review, determining that Waldemar Anton had pushed Gill to the ground before the shot.
Paraguay played without defender Omar Alderete, who sustained an injury in their previous 0-0 draw against Australia, leading to Canale starting in his place. The Round of 32 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Julio Enciso gave Paraguay the lead with a header late in the first half, but Kai Havertz equalized for Germany in the 52nd minute.
Gill reflected on the victory, stating that the team had meticulously analyzed every opponent player and detail, which enabled him to save two penalties. He dedicated the win to the people of Paraguay. Paraguay, ranked 41st by FIFA entering the match, was considered a significant underdog, making their victory the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup.
Historical context and future prospects
This victory marks only the second time Paraguay has advanced beyond the group stage in a World Cup. Their previous advancement was in 2010, when they defeated Japan on penalty kicks in the round of 16 before being eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals. Germany, in contrast, had a strong record in penalty shootouts in major tournaments, winning six of seven, including six consecutive victories since their loss to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final. German coach Julian Nagelsmann acknowledged that the result was not sufficient for German football.
The last World Cup knockout game for Germany was the 2014 final in Brazil, where they defeated Argentina 1-0 to secure their fourth title. However, they were eliminated in the group stage in the last two tournaments. Havertz expressed disappointment, noting that the team had significant plans for this World Cup and found it challenging to create chances and maintain pace against Paraguay.
Paraguay broke the initial deadlock in the 42nd minute with precise ball movement. Miguel Almiron passed to Matias Galarza, who then crossed to an unmarked Enciso, allowing him to head the ball past Neuer. Germany‘s equalizer came in the second half when Havertz redirected a cross from Florian Wirtz past Gill. Despite scoring 10 goals in the group stage, Germany struggled against Paraguay‘s 4-5-1 formation, maintaining 78% possession in the first half but failing to convert it into more goals.
Paraguay is now set to face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia. A win in that match would send Paraguay back to Foxborough for the quarterfinals on July 9.
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Source: nbcnews.com
Chloe Tremblay is the Sports Reporter at CasinoNews, covering basketball, tennis and athletics with nine years of reporting experience. She reported on the Raptors' rise and two Olympic cycles. She holds a degree in Journalism from Concordia University. Based in Montreal, she plays recreational basketball and follows track athletics. “The best stories come from the athletes everyone overlooks.”
