Jose Canale’s sudden-death penalty settled a wild shootout at Gillette Stadium and sent Germany to their first ever World Cup exit from 12 yards. Orlando Gill had already denied Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade, and when Jonathan Tah blazed over, Canale stepped up to convert with a composure that belied the chaos around him. The 4-3 shootout victory, after 120 minutes of stalemate, delivered Paraguay’s second knockout win at the tournament and confirmed the end of Germany’s campaign at the last-32 stage.

Paraguay had taken a shock lead three minutes before half-time when Julio Enciso headed in Matias Galarza’s cross, the country’s first goal in a World Cup knockout match after five scoreless attempts stretching back to 2002. Germany levelled nine minutes after the restart, Havertz glancing Florian Wirtz’s delivery into the far corner. The four-time champions thought they had won it in extra time when Tah headed home, but a VAR review disallowed the goal for a push by Waldemar Anton on Gill. In the Massachusetts heat, Paraguay’s defensive shape held firm, forcing the contest to penalties where Germany’s previously perfect shootout record unravelled.

Viewed from Berlin, the result deepens a decade-long malaise. Germany have not won a knockout fixture since lifting the trophy in 2014, and this third consecutive early exit—following group-stage eliminations in 2018 and 2022—prompted Bild to label it “another German football nightmare.” Head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who at 38 became the youngest coach in a World Cup knockout match in 40 years, acknowledged his side “didn’t do enough” and faced immediate questions over his future. Former internationals Arne Friedrich and Thomas Hitzlsperger publicly called for a change, while Jurgen Klopp, working as a television pundit, criticised the VAR decision that ruled out Tah’s goal, joking that if it was a foul, “Arsenal won’t be English champions.”

In Asunción, the celebrations reflected a nation that had entered the tournament ranked 41st in the world, 31 places below their opponents. Coach Gustavo Alfaro described the performance as “extraordinary,” praising his players for executing a game plan that denied Germany space. Gill dedicated his heroics to “all Paraguayans,” while Enciso, who departed injured in the second half, insisted the team “are not afraid of anyone.” The victory echoed their 2010 run, when they reached the quarter-finals on penalties before falling to eventual champions Spain.

Paraguay now advance to a last-16 meeting in Philadelphia with the winner of France versus Sweden, a fixture that offers a chance to match that 2010 benchmark. For Germany, the inquest begins immediately, with a generation of talent yet to deliver a knockout victory on the sport’s biggest stage.