The atmosphere is electric as Paraguay prepares to square off against Germany in this pivotal World Cup 2026 knockout match. With both teams eager to advance, the tension in Boston Stadium is palpable.
6 min A loose ball in the Paraguay area is touched off by Havertz to Undav, whose effort drifts wide after a delicate chip across the goal.
5 min Gustavo Gomez requires attention following an awkward fall. While he is limping slightly, he appears to be okay.
2 min: Chance for Paraguay! The corner kick finds an unmarked Julio Alonso at the far post. His first touch is a bit clumsy, likely because he saw the ball late, but he manages to execute a scissor-kick that is deflected clear by Neuer.
1 min Peep peep! Paraguay kicks off from left to right, and within just 20 seconds, Julio Enciso takes a hopeful shot that gets deflected behind for a corner.
“Unclear to me whether this is, in reportage terms, after or before the lord mayor’s show; still, who’d you annoy to get landed with this? (Probably don’t answer that.) C’mon… Paraguay, I guess? Jeezo, difficult to shake a leg for this one.” writes James Humphries. “What is better for Germany? Lose today and blame the officials or the pitch /VAR. or prevail today and get marauded by a tank with a Rolls Royce engine aka Mbappe as reward?”
Oh, I was pleased for Tim to have first pick. This was mainly due to my gratitude for his role in my career, but also because it allowed me to catch Richard Osman’s House of Games.
The players are making their way onto the pitch under the sweltering sun at Boston Stadium. Thankfully, hydration breaks are in place to help manage the heat.
This evening’s victors will face either France or Sweden, who are set to meet tomorrow.
Match report: Brazil 2-1 Japan
Brazil experienced another match where they struggled for long stretches but ultimately emerged victorious. Their performance was less than stellar, yet Carlo Ancelotti’s strategy of maintaining composure and waiting for the opposition to falter paid off yet again. Despite being down 1-0 at halftime, Brazil’s chances of an early exit seemed high. Five players in the starting lineup were over 30, indicating a more defensive approach, while Japan appeared quicker and more creative. However, the halftime introduction of Endrick and a tactical shift revitalized Brazil’s performance. They began sending crosses into the box, which unsettled Japan. Casemiro, previously uninvolved, headed in the equalizer, and deep into stoppage time, Gabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal.
“Anyone who was around in 2002 will remember that year’s Germany-Paraguay as probably the worst match of that tournament,” says Krishnamoorthy V. “I think this one will be better, if only because Germany have more good attackers at their disposal this time. But I’ll be very surprised if Paraguay add much to the match excitement-wise.”
I think they have a third option in mind.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” says Peter Goldstein. “that we’ve had four Germany games without mentioning Die Mannschaft’s finest moment from the last World Cup on US soil. “The tradition of forcing players into awkward backing vocals on cheesy songs really needs to be resurrected.”
In fairness, the winning goal was a beauty, and not only because it spared us from extra-time.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” begins Kiera Healy, and for once that overused phrase is justified, “that we’ve had four Germany games without mentioning Die Mannschaft’s finest moment from the last World Cup on US soil.
“The tradition of forcing players into awkward backing vocals on cheesy songs really needs to be resurrected.”
They looked far more at ease singing Three Lions after clinching Euro 96.
Ian Sargeant writes in
double quotation mark Greetings from Turkey Rob. Just chilling over some post-dinner cocktails. My 25% German son is resplendent in his Germany shirt making his much missed grandmother proud I’m sure. Paraguay 1986? Alvin Martin’s only start in that campaign. Had he played the following game instead of Terry Fenwick, would Stretch have gotten close enough to Maradona to stop Diego’s second? Trying to stop Alan Devonshire in club training every day would have been helpful…
I appreciate the Royal Tenenbaums-ish description of your son. (Please take that in the spirit in which it was intended.)
And no, Stretch wouldn’t have gotten any closer—but he might not have been on a yellow card for gratuitous violence, which could have given him the chance to take Maradona out and prevent the second goal.
There’s a tragic backdrop to today’s match: six individuals have lost their lives at a youth welfare facility in Stade, Germany. Beyond the sympathy that shouldn’t need to be expressed, it’s hard to know what else to say.
Deniz Undav, who has netted three goals at this World Cup through the Chloe Kelly Paradox, starts up front for the first time. Jamal Musiala has been benched, so Kai Havertz is expected to play as a No10.
Miguel Almiron is back in the Paraguay lineup following his suspension, and Gabriel Avalos takes a starting position up front.
Germany (formation 4-2-3-1) Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Brown; Pavlovic, Nmecha; Sane, Havertz, Wirtz; Undav.
Subs: Baumann, Nubel, Anton, Goretzka, Leweling, Musiala, Woltemade, Gross, Beier, Stiller, Amiri, Raum, Thiaw, Ouedraogo.
Paraguay (formation 4-5-1) Gill; Caceres, Gomez, Canale, Alonso; Almiron, Cubas, Bobadilla, Galarza; Avalos.
Subs: Fernandez, Olveira, Velazquez, Alderete, Balbuena, Sosa, Sanabria, Mauricio, Romero, Arce, Ojeda, Caballero, Pitta, Maidana.
Referee: Jayal Jayed (Morocco)
The Chloe Kelly Paradox is a notable aspect of this World Cup. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, one of the top substitutes globally, recently scored the injury-time winner for Brazil against Japan.
Paraguay has not scored in five World Cup knockout matches. While statistics can be misleading, they have posed challenges for several formidable teams.
The eventual champions France needed the tournament’s first Golden Goal to defeat them in 1998, while the finalists Germany required a stunning late goal from the often-overlooked Oliver Neuville in 2002.
In 2010, after a goalless draw against Japan that ended in penalties, they gave Spain a significant scare. Even back in 1986, when they suffered a heavy defeat to England, they had opportunities to take the lead.
Hello and welcome to live, scene-by-scene coverage of 4369 Days Later. That’s the duration since Germany last participated in a World Cup knockout match, an outcome none of us could have predicted when Mario Gotze scored the winning goal against Argentina in the 2014 final.
Paraguay has waited even longer to return to this high-stakes scenario, but they aren’t Germany, so it’s not quite as significant. They are somewhat forgotten quarter-finalists from 2010, having given the eventual winners Spain a serious challenge before ultimately losing 1-0. Oscar Cardozo missed a second-half penalty that could have changed the game.
Germany enters this match as the slight favorites, yet their 12-year absence from knockout rounds highlights that the previous certainties surrounding Germany and the World Cup no longer hold. The winner will face either France or Sweden in the next round.
Kick-off is at 4:30 PM EDT / 9:30 PM BST / 6:30 AM AET.
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- Germany
- Paraguay
