Paraguay stun Germany on penalties in the upset of the tournament

Paraguay produced the shock of the World Cup, knocking out four-time champions Germany on penalties at Gillette Stadium after a dramatic 1-1 draw. Locked together after 120 minutes, the tie went to a shootout that Paraguay won 4-3, goalkeeper Gill the hero with a crucial save before Canale calmly sealed it. For Germany, ranked among the favourites, it is a stunning and chastening exit; for Paraguay — who had scraped into the knockouts as the seventh of eight best third-placed teams — it is the continuation of one of the most improbable runs the competition has seen.

Match summary: Havertz strikes, Paraguay level, VAR controversy and a shootout

Germany looked to be in control when Kai Havertz put them ahead, but Paraguay refused to buckle and struck back to level, taking the contest to extra time. The drama peaked in the additional period when Germany had what looked a legitimate goal ruled out following a contentious VAR review — a decision that will be fiercely debated and which denied them a place in the last 16. Unable to find a winner across 120 minutes, the tie went to penalties. There, Paraguay held their nerve: Gill produced the decisive save and Canale converted the clinching spot-kick to spark wild celebrations and send the South Americans through.

A four-time champion falls — and a fairytale continues

Germany's elimination is the headline that will reverberate around the tournament. A four-time world champion, expected to contend deep into the knockouts, undone by a side that needed the best-third lottery simply to be here — and aggrieved by a VAR call that went against them at the cruellest moment, denying them a winner that television replays suggested was good. It is the kind of early exit that prompts soul-searching for a footballing superpower, and the recriminations will be loud. For Paraguay, the story could hardly be more romantic: written off before the finals, they have ridden organisation, resilience and now nerve from twelve yards into the Round of 16. Their goalkeeper Gill stands as the emblem of a run defined by belief against the odds, and a nation dares to dream of more.

Paraguay into the last 16; Germany go home

Paraguay advance to the Round of 16, where they will face the winner of France against Sweden on July 4 at Lincoln Financial Field. Few would have predicted it, but the South Americans roll on, dreaming bigger with every round. Germany, meanwhile, exit at the Round of 32 — one of the biggest names to fall, their campaign ended in heartbreak and controversy on a night Paraguay will never forget.