The 2026 World Cup got its first penalty shootout on June 29, and it featured one of the tournament’s heavyweight names staring down elimination. Germany and Paraguay played to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, sending the Round of 32 clash into extra time and eventually to spot kicks.

How we got here: Enciso strikes first, Havertz rescues Germany

Paraguay came out with clear intent and were rewarded when Julio Enciso found the back of the net to give the South American side the lead. Germany, to their credit, did not panic. Kai Havertz leveled the score with a header. The equalizer sent the match into the extended period, but neither side could find a winner across extra time.

Historical baggage on both sides

Germany and Paraguay have met before on the World Cup stage. Back in 2002, Germany edged Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16.

For Germany, this was their first men’s World Cup penalty shootout since 2006, when they faced Argentina in the quarterfinals. Paraguay’s own penalty shootout history includes their 2010 World Cup encounter with Japan, which they won to advance to the quarterfinals.

What this means for the tournament picture

The winner of this shootout advances to face either France or Sweden in the Round of 16.

Germany entered this World Cup trying to restore their reputation as a tournament team. Their group stage exits in 2018 and 2022 are still fresh wounds for a football nation that expects deep runs as a birthright.

The broader takeaway is that the expanded 48-team format of the 2026 World Cup, with its additional knockout round, creates a Round of 32 that didn’t exist in previous tournaments, where established powers can stumble against motivated underdogs before the bracket even reaches the traditional last-16 stage.