FIFA World Cup 2026: Paraguay President Santiago Pena declares holiday after team's historic win over Germany in R32
Asuncion, June 30
Paraguay President Santiago Pena declared a national holiday after the country's football team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the FIFA World Cup 2026 by defeating four-time champions Germany to book a place in the Round of 16.
Paraguay scripted one of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup history, defeating four-time champions Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the Round of 16.
Germany suffered their first-ever World Cup elimination via a penalty shootout, with a controversial VAR decision disallowing Jonathan Tah's extra-time winner proving decisive.
Celebrating the historic victory, Pena shared an exuberant message on X, writing, "PARAGUAY NEVER GIVES UP! HOLIDAY DAMMIT!!"
Chile President Jose Antonio Kast on Tuesday congratulated Paraguay stunned four-time champions Germany.
In a post on X, Kast said he watched the dramatic penalty shootout after arriving in Paraguay's capital, Asuncion.
"We arrived in Asuncion and took the chance to watch the emotional penalty shootout between Germany and Paraguay. A great victory that puts another Latin American in the round of 16 at the World Cup. Congratulations, Paraguay!" Chile President Jose Antonio Kast Rist congratulated on X.
"We arrived in Asuncion and took the chance to watch the emotional penalty shootout between Germany and Paraguay. A great victory that puts another Latin American in the round of 16 at the World Cup. Congratulations, Paraguay!" he wrote.
The announcement came shortly after Paraguay defeated Germany 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time in their Round of 32 clash.
Paraguay advanced after holding their nerve in the shootout, while Germany missed three penalties. The match was also marked by VAR controversy after Germany had an extra-time goal by Jonathan Tah ruled out following a review for a foul in the build-up.
The defeat marked Germany's earliest exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Paraguay progressed to the Round of 16 after a memorable night defined by VAR controversy, defensive resilience and clinical finishing from the penalty spot.
It was also only their second defeat on penalties at a major international tournament, the first coming against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final (5-3), as per OptaJoe.
The result also ranks among the biggest knockout upsets in modern World Cup history. Germany entered the tournament ranked 10th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Paraguay were 41st, a gap of 31 places.
Since 1994, only three World Cup knockout eliminations have featured a larger rankings disparity: Spain's defeat to Russia in 2018 (60 places), Italy's loss to South Korea in 2002 (34 places), and Spain's quarter-final exit to South Korea in 2002 (32 places).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Love seeing South American teams shine! Paraguay's defense was rock solid. But honestly, Germany's early exit is bad for the tournament – they bring so many fans. On the bright side, more chaos means more excitement. Hope to see Paraguay go deep! 🙌
A 31-place ranking gap and they still pulled it off – this is why football is the beautiful game. Paraguay's president declaring a holiday is hilarious but also shows how much football means to these countries. Meanwhile here in India, we're still waiting for our first World Cup appearance since 1950... one day maybe! 😅
As someone who follows football from the US, this was wild. Germany dominated possession but couldn't finish. The VAR controversy will be talked about for years. Paraguay's penalty takers showed nerves of steel. And Chile's president watching the shootout with them? That's Latin American brotherhood right there. Great for the sport!
Wonderful upset, but I'm a bit critical of the refereeing. That Tah goal being disallowed for a foul seemed harsh – VAR is great but sometimes kills the flow. Still, Paraguay deserved it for their determination. Also nice to see Chile's president being a good sport. Football unites even rival nations! 🇵🇾🤝🇨🇱
Big fan of underdog stories. Paraguay proving rankings don't matter on the pitch. This reminds me of India's cricket upsets against Australia – pure joy for the smaller nation. Hope this inspires more teams from South America. Also, "HOLIDAY DAMMIT!!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.