The decisive moment arrived in the seventh round of the penalty shootout at Gillette Stadium, when José Canale’s low strike sent Paraguay into the World Cup’s round of 16 and eliminated four-time champions Germany. The 4-3 shootout win, after 120 minutes of football had ended 1-1, was built on the long limbs and sharp reading of goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who dived to his right to repel Kai Havertz’s opening kick and then sprawled left to keep out Nick Woltemade’s effort. Jonathan Tah later blazed over the bar, leaving Canale to complete one of the tournament’s most startling results.

Paraguay had taken the lead against the run of play three minutes before half-time, when Julio Enciso rose to head in a cross from Matías Galarza. Germany, who controlled nearly 80 per cent of possession in the first half, equalised nine minutes after the restart through Havertz’s header from Florian Wirtz’s delivery. The European side continued to press, but Gill made six saves across the match, including a point-blank stop from Havertz and a crucial intervention to deny Tah’s header in extra time — a goal that was subsequently disallowed by VAR for obstruction on the goalkeeper.

Gill’s performance was the culmination of a rapid rise. Born in the Paraguayan city of San Lorenzo, he moved to Argentina’s San Lorenzo de Almagro in 2024, initially spending six months ineligible before injuries to senior goalkeepers opened a path. He became the club’s first-choice in early 2025, keeping 28 clean sheets in 53 appearances, and made his national-team debut later that year. Viewed from Buenos Aires, his composure under the high ball and his 1.99-metre frame have drawn comparisons with Thibaut Courtois, though Gill himself has noted a more local influence: he practises free-kicks after training and scored four goals in Paraguay.

After the match, Gill dedicated the victory to a nephew who is hospitalised, and his wife revealed on social media that the couple had once sold his jerseys and boots to fund their son’s medical treatment. The goalkeeper’s trajectory also carried a personal redemption arc: in a domestic cup tie for San Lorenzo earlier this year, he had saved two penalties against River Plate only for his side to be eliminated. This time, the two stops proved decisive. German media noted that the defeat ended a perfect World Cup shootout record for the Nationalmannschaft, who had won all four of their previous tournament deciders from the spot.

Paraguay, managed by Gustavo Alfaro, will next face the winner of the round-of-32 tie between France and Sweden, to be played at MetLife Stadium. For a nation that had not reached the knockout stage since 2010, the victory in Massachusetts has already reshaped expectations.