Paraguay Triumphs Over Germany in Penalty Shootout: Coach Celebrates Team's Legendary Performance

In a dramatic round of 32 match, Paraguay triumphed over Germany in a penalty shootout, with coach Gustavo Alfaro praising his players as 'legends.' This victory marks a significant moment for Paraguay, who now aim to match their best World Cup finish. Despite a rocky start to the tournament, the team demonstrated resilience and determination, overcoming challenges to secure their place in the next round. Alfaro's inspiring words and the team's hard-fought battle highlight the spirit of football as they prepare for their upcoming match against either France or Sweden.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 30, 2026, 14:20 IST

Paraguay's Historic Victory

After a thrilling penalty shootout victory against Germany in the round of 32, Paraguay's head coach, Gustavo Alfaro, praised his players, referring to them as '26 warriors' who returned as 'legends.'

Germany's struggles since their 2014 FIFA World Cup win continued as they faced elimination in the round of 32, marking their third consecutive early exit from the tournament. This defeat was particularly notable as it was their first-ever elimination via penalties, having previously won all four shootouts in World Cup history. Additionally, this marked only their second penalty loss in a major international tournament, the first being against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final, according to statistics from OptaJoe.

Alfaro's Inspirational Words

With this victory, Paraguay has the opportunity to equal their best World Cup performance, which was reaching the quarterfinals in 2010. In a post-match statement, Alfaro expressed, 'We never believe that we are beaten. Twenty-six warriors went out there, and they came back as legends.'

Despite facing criticism after a heavy 1-4 loss to co-hosts the US in their opening match, Paraguay managed to advance with a win, a loss, and a draw, totaling four points to secure a place among the best third-placed teams. Alfaro emphasized that the team learned valuable lessons from their earlier defeat, stating, 'If we had not learned from the loss, we would not have been prepared for this match. I told the players that we have lived through an epic evening.'

A Hard-Fought Battle

The match saw Paraguay take the lead with a goal from Julio Enciso in the 42nd minute, but Germany equalized through Kai Havertz in the 54th minute. Paraguay faced a tense moment with a VAR decision that disallowed a goal but managed to push the game to penalties, where Jose Canale scored the decisive kick.

'As things always are with us, we do not do things without suffering,' Alfaro remarked. 'Canale is one of life's champions because he has had to go through a lot of adversity. A night like this is one of the gifts that life can give you. It is divine justice,' he concluded.

Looking Ahead

Paraguay is set to face either France or Sweden in their upcoming round of 16 match on July 4.