Paraguay knock out Germany on penalty drama in Boston

Paraguay knock – For the first time at this World Cup, penalties decided a knockout tie as Paraguay edged Germany after extra time and a late VAR intervention in Boston. In Houston, Brazil avoided an early exit before Gabriel Martinelli scored late to send Japan home, while st

Boston went quiet for stretches, then erupted again—first from the shock of Paraguay punching in front, then from the chaos that followed when extra time, VAR and, finally, penalties decided a Round of 32 match for the first time at this FIFA World Cup.

Julio Enciso gave Paraguay the lead in the 42nd minute. a goal that arrived after Germany had dominated possession yet did next to nothing with the ball. The second half brought the immediate answer: Kai Havertz equalised early after the restart. leveling proceedings and turning what had seemed like a one-sided storyline into a slog.

From there, the game stalled into a stalemate. It wasn’t a classic. and for much of the contest the urgency never quite translated into clear chances—until the 102nd minute. when Jonathan Tah’s header appeared to have spared Germany and perhaps delayed Paraguay’s post-match fate. VAR intervened, the sequence continued, and the momentum shifted again.

Paraguay, coached by Gustavo Alfaro, left everything on the pitch. Players including Matías Galarza, Andrés Cubas and José Canale put in heroic shifts as Germany pushed. When the match finally slid into a penalty shootout, Havertz’s poor attempt to begin was a warning sign. Nick Woltemade and Tah both failed to convert after that, and it was over.

Paraguay—who were given little hope after being trounced by the Americans earlier in the tournament—survive the night and move into the round of 16. Germany’s run ends with the same blunt finality that can follow a match where possession doesn’t become results.

In Houston, the pain didn’t wait until the final whistle.

At halftime, Brazil were already staring humiliation and their earliest World Cup exit ever in the face. Japan led 1-0 thanks to Kaishu Sano’s goal in the 29th minute, and Brazil’s attack had the same disjointed feeling as they’d shown in the tournament opener against Morocco.

Carlo Ancelotti had been hired in 2025 to fix what was broken, and the clock was running out. His changes arrived for the second half: he inserted Endrick for the hobbled Lucas Paqueta and altered the formation, with Brazil dictating play from the start of the restart.

Ancelotti’s decision to keep Casemiro on the pitch drew derision—Casemiro is a veteran and at this point a current free agent—but the risk paid off. Casemiro got his head onto Gabriel’s cross for the equaliser.

Ancelotti then made another move. taking off Matheus Cunha. Brazil’s most dangerous player at this World Cup not named Vinícius Júnior. with nine minutes still to play. Even that choice came with eyebrows raised—Matheus Cunha was the spark Brazil had leaned on—but it didn’t kill the momentum. Goal Martinelli came late, and Brazil moved on.

The swing mattered beyond the scoreboard. For the first time since 2002, Brazil won a World Cup match after trailing at halftime.

For Japan, it was heartbreak without a way out. The Samurai Blue have yet to win a World Cup knockout game. and while the result was cruel. Hajime Moriyasu’s team had dropped far too deep against quality opposition. The same pattern had shown up against the Netherlands in group stage play. where Japan also ended up with equally negative results.

Japan’s individual level, as the night proved, has never been higher. But playing expansive, attacking soccer still feels elusive when the matches get big.

There was one pattern underneath both ties: when games demanded it, Germany and Japan couldn’t turn long stretches of work into decisive moments, while Paraguay and Brazil found the edges they needed late—one through penalties after VAR drama, the other through a late equaliser and a late winner.

1. Orlando Gill (Paraguay)
Move over Roque Santa Cruz—Orlando Gill is now sitting alongside him in the Paraguay pantheon of greatness. His penalty shootout heroics will carry the headlines. but his night stretched wider than that: Gill made six saves and kept his team organized as Germany’s second-half pressure intensified.

2. Matías Galarza (Paraguay)
Galarza was the kind of presence you’d want on your side and hate to face. He made nine defensive contributions and 10 recoveries, and his energy off the ball repeatedly frustrated Germany.

3. Bruno Guimarães (Brazil)
Brazil’s midfield has often been labelled inconsistent, but the talent has never disappeared. In the second half, the plan clicked with Bruno Guimarães at the centre—his vision to see the pass for Martinelli’s winner was world-class.

By the time the final drama was done in Boston and the last gasp in Houston arrived, Monday’s Round of 32 action had delivered a first: penalties decided a knockout tie, and two traditional names—Germany and Japan—were left to watch the tournament move without them.

Paraguay vs Germany World Cup 2026 Round of 32 penalties VAR Julio Enciso Kai Havertz Jonathan Tah Orlando Gill Brazil vs Japan Carlo Ancelotti Endrick Casemiro Gabriel Martinelli Kaishu Sano