Germany 1-1 Paraguay (3-4 pens): The 2026 World Cup Upset That Made History

Second half: Germany equalize

Germany responded early in the second half. In the 54th minute, Kai Havertz scored the equalizer, leveling the match at 1-1 .

Despite dominating possession — holding 75% of the ball and outshooting Paraguay 21-7 — Germany could not find a winner in regulation or extra time .

Controversial VAR decision: Jonathan Tah's disallowed goal

The most pivotal moment came in the 101st minute of extra time. Germany defender Jonathan Tah rose highest from a corner kick delivered by Nathaniel Brown and headed the ball past Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, seemingly giving Germany a 2-1 lead .

The German players celebrated, but the referee halted play for a VAR review . After checking the monitor, referee Jalal Jayed determined that Germany's Waldemar Anton had made contact with Gill's face or head before the header, ruling it a foul on the goalkeeper .

The goal was disallowed, sparking widespread controversy. The Independent reported that the decision "left a bitter taste," with replays showing only minimal contact . BBC referee analyst Darren Cann disagreed with the call, saying there was "hardly any" contact .

Penalty shootout: Paraguay prevails

With the score still 1-1 after 120 minutes, the match went to a penalty shootout .

Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill made two crucial saves, and defender José Canale scored the decisive sudden-death penalty to seal the 4-3 victory . Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah all missed for Germany in the shootout .

Historical significance

For Germany

This was Germany's first-ever World Cup penalty shootout defeat. They had entered the match with a perfect 4-0 record in World Cup shootouts . The loss marked Germany's third consecutive knockout-stage failure — following group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022 — and immediately placed manager Julian Nagelsmann's job in serious jeopardy .

For Paraguay

This was a landmark victory — their first knockout-stage win in a World Cup since 2010, and they ended a streak of five knockout matches without scoring . The result was hailed as "Paraguay's finest hour" and the biggest upset of the 2026 tournament . India Today called it "the greatest night in the nation's footballing history" .