Guaraní Grit: Paraguay Eliminates Germany in Historic World Cup Win
A goalie who once sold his kit to feed his family delivers the upset of the tournament
Paraguay defeated Germany last night in a nail-biting match of attrition that saw La Albirroja become the first team ever to beat Die Mannschaft on penalties at the FIFA World Cup.
The shock victory against one of the world’s best sides means Paraguay is headed to the Round of 16 in Philadelphia on Saturday against either Sweden or 2018 World Cup winner France.
As the final whistle blew, crowds gathered in the historic centre of Asunción went ballistic with joy. Fireworks and thumping music rang out in the chilly night air.
Caravans of honking, flag-waving vehicles surged down the capital’s avenues towards the National Pantheon of Heroes.
The party reached fever pitch when news spread that Paraguay’s president, Santiago Peña, had declared a national holiday for the following day.
“Paraguay never gives up!” Peña posted on X. “Public holiday, dammit!”
A flurry of memes highlighted the unexpected upset: the purebred German Shepherd outclassed by a Mercado 4 mutt.
Paraguay had been lacking in verve so far in this tournament: a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of co-hosts the US, a gritty 1-0 win against Turkey, and a 0-0 stalemate versus Australia.
But last night’s do-or-die encounter in Massachusetts had drama in spades: not least because virtually nobody had predicted La Albirroja would come out on top.
Betting platform Polymarket had Germany’s chances of victory at 74%, against 19% for a draw and just 9% for a Paraguayan win.
There was an early chance for Paraguay, when Manuel Neuer leaped to save a close-quarters attempt from defender Júnior Alonso just 63 seconds in — the earliest shot on target faced by Germany in any World Cup on record.
Possession soon settled in the four-time World Champions’ favour, with Germany controlling roughly three-quarters of play over the full 120 minutes and racking up 21 shots to a mere handful by Paraguay.
Yet a cross from midfielder Matías Galarza in the 42nd minute was smartly headed by Brighton-trained winger Julio Enciso into the net, putting Paraguay on top for a few exhilarating minutes.
But not long after the second half resumed, Germany’s Kai Havertz got a header past Paraguay’s long-limbed keeper, Orlando Gill, pushing the game into extra time.
In the 105th minute, disaster nearly struck: a corner from Nathaniel Brown was nodded by Jonathan Tah into the net, sending the German end into raptures. Paraguay looked despondent.
But upon consulting VAR, Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed wound back the scoreboard to 1-1, ruling that defender Waldemar Anton had blocked Gill’s path to the ball in the build-up, seemingly barging him to the ground.
The call enraged the German dugout — and divided commentators.
Some said Anton’s positioning in the box was the kind of rough-and-tumble long tolerated in European leagues, or that there was no foul at all. Others argued it was about time such antics were penalised.
The stay of execution energised the jubilant Guaraní underdogs, who held the tie through the rest of extra time and into a shootout.
It was here that Paraguay’s grit — and the god-like reflexes of goalie Gill, who had already made six saves — truly came into play.
Gill parried Havertz’s opener. Maurício, Gustavo Gómez, and Galarza all kept their nerve to convert. Gill saved again from Nick Woltemade, only for Sanabria to smash Paraguay’s next attempt wide and Neuer to save Fabián Balbuena’s shot.
Now into sudden death, Tah also skied his effort over the bar.
Finally, 29-year-old centre back José Canale — drafted in last-minute to replace Omar Alderete, injured in the Australia game — stepped up. The pressure might have crushed a lesser player.
Instead, Canale rocketed the ball high past Neuer. Paraguay had toppled Germany, and made history.
THE POST TAKE
Leave aside whether Paraguay fully earned the victory. There’s no question they deserved it.
MagentaTV pundit Jonas Friedrich had sparked serious controversy by suggesting Germany would waltz to victory, calling Gustavo Alfaro’s side a “third-class” team. Hubris, meet nemesis.
And those who subsequently sniffed at Paraguay’s so-called haramball were missing the fact that this kind of cussed, dug-in defence is a recurring feature across centuries of Paraguayan history.
Squint, and you can discern in Gustavo Alfaro’s tight, compact formation a distant reflection of the trenches and barricades of Mbororé, Curupaytí and Fortín Toledo.
There was a tale of personal redemption, too, for Gill. Only a few years ago, he was forced to sell his trainers and U20 national team jersey to pay for his family’s expenses after his son was born prematurely.
He then moved to Argentina in search of greater professional opportunities — as over 500,000 Paraguayans have done in recent years — joining top Buenos Aires side San Lorenzo.
Last night, the 6ft6in giant was named the Man of the Match and is now being hailed as a hero.
“Our opponents — with all respect — were trained in the best academies of Europe,” Alfaro told reporters after the match.
“We come from the tierra colorada, the red earth represented by the stripes of our shirt. Playing barefoot in that dirt, with parents making sacrifices and scraping by to reach the end of the month so their kids can still train and fulfill their dreams.”
“I don’t deny my origins,” the Argentine DT continued, “because it’s what defines us as a team … That mix of blood and utopia enabled us to make what seemed impossible a reality. It’s the greatest victory of my career as a coach.”
The Paraguay Post sometimes catches flak for being negative. We’d counter that Paraguay is better served by honesty than propaganda: plenty of which can be found elsewhere.
But while Paraguay’s path to the trophy looks torturous — other contenders include France, Sweden, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Argentina, and Brazil — the country is more than entitled to celebrate the win against Germany.
It’s the kind of rare, feel-good moment that means so much to a nation of strivers and survivors that — after all — invented something like football centuries before the rules of the English game were written down. Could it finally be coming home?
Garra Guarani! Like a Gill Special, the “went ballistic” cliche was brilliantly saved by an immediate reference to fireworks. Chapeu.