Paraguay Stuns Germany on Penalties, Declares National Holiday

Paraguay eliminated four-time world champions Germany from the World Cup on Monday night, winning a penalty shootout 4-3 after a 1-1 draw through regulation and extra time — and the result was significant enough that Paraguay's president declared a national holiday before the night was even over. How the upset happened Julio Enciso gave Paraguay a surprise lead with a towering header in the 42nd minute. Kai Havertz equalized for Germany in the 54th, and Germany appeared to have taken the lead in extra time when Jonathan Tah headed home — only for the goal to be disallowed after a video review found Waldemar Anton had interfered with Paraguay goalkeeper Diego Gill while clearing space for the shot. That review proved decisive. The match went to penalties, where Gill — a 26-year-old playing in his first World Cup — outdueled German legend Manuel Neuer, saving a crucial attempt to help send the four-time champions home. Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah all missed penalties for Germany; José Canale converted the winning kick for Paraguay, sending Neuer the wrong way. It marked Germany's first-ever World Cup defeat in a penalty shootout. A team few expected to get this far Paraguay's path into the knockout rounds was rocky from the start: a 4-1 group-stage loss to co-hosts the United States drew heavy criticism of coach Gustavo Alfaro, and the team advanced only as a best-placed third-place finisher after a 1-0 win over Türkiye and a scoreless draw with Australia. Against a Germany side that controlled possession for more than twice as long and out-shot Paraguay 21 to 7, the result was, by most statistical measures, an enormous upset. Alfaro told reporters afterward that his players had earned a place in the nation's history, saying "twenty-six warriors went out there and they came back as legends." Fandom Why a holiday, and why so fast President Santiago Peña signed the decree declaring June 30 a national holiday the same night as the win, posting the announcement directly on X. It's not the first time Peña has marked a Paraguay World Cup moment this way — he also declared a holiday last September when the team qualified for its first World Cup since 2010. Paraguay is also the second South American country to declare a public holiday over a win against Germany in this tournament, following Ecuador's decision to do the same after beating Germany in the group stage. What's next Paraguay advances to face the winner of France vs. Sweden in the Round of 16, scheduled for July 4 in Philadelphia. Why it matters Beyond the result itself, this is a reminder of how compressed and unforgiving knockout-stage soccer is — a team that lost its opener 4-1 and squeaked through on a tiebreaker is now two wins from a place in World Cup history, while a four-time champion with a roster built around proven veterans like Neuer is home. For Paraguay, a country of just over 6 million people with a modest football pedigree compared to its South American neighbors, this result functions as something closer to a national identity moment than a routine sports headline — which is exactly why it warranted a presidential decree within hours, not days.