For the first time at World Cup 2026, penalties decide last-16 spot

For the first time at World Cup 2026, penalties decide last-16 spot On Monday (29), Paraguay defeated Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time and secured a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is the first time in this edition of the tournament that a team has advanced on penalties. In the first half, the South Americans stunned the four-time world champions with Enciso’s headed goal. This was also Paraguay’s first goal in a World Cup knockout match. However, right after the break, Kai Havertz also used his head to level the score. Although Germany completely dominated the action, including during extra time, no goal came from open play. Center-back Jonathan Tah even scored a header in extra time, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review for a foul by Anton on the goalkeeper. Penalties Germany: Kimmich, Musiala, and Amiri scored; Havertz, Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah missed; Paraguay: Maurício, Gustavo Gómez, Galarza, and Canale converted; Sanabria and Balbuena missed. 🚦 What’s next With the win on penalties, Paraguay now waits to find out whether it will face France or Sweden in the Round of 16! This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.