The Round of 32 encounter will be held at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Germany will arrive at the top of Group E with six points. Nagelsmann’s side established themselves as contenders by thrashing Curaçao 7-1 before defeating Ivory Coast 2-1 to seal early qualification. Their final groups brought a timely reminder that changes are still needed, with Ecuador losing 2-1 despite Germany already securing first place.
The journey of the Paraguayan team could not have been more different. Their campaign looked in danger of ending after they were beaten 4-1 by the hosts United States in the opening game, but Alfaro’s players responded with courage. A comfortable 1-0 win over Türkiye, which came after playing the entire second half with ten men, restarted their campaign before a 0-0 draw against Australia secured four points and placed them among the third-best teams in the tournament.
Germany also depended on one of the most exciting stages of the tournament. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz continue to provide information behind Kai Havertz, while Deniz Undav has been one of the stories of the tournament. The striker has scored three goals despite coming off the bench and entered the knockout stages as a substitute for Germany. Defensively, Germany suffered a major setback after Nico Schlotterbeck suffered a groin injury near the end of the tournament, leaving Antonio Rüdiger to lead the back line.
Paraguay also received an important boost. Miguel Almirón returns from suspension and is expected to partner Julio Enciso to lead the opposition’s attacks. Midfielder Diego Gómez, however, is absent after picking up two yellow cards during the group stage.
This will be the second World Cup meeting between the countries. Their previous meeting took place in the Round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, where Germany broke Paraguay’s resistance in the 88th minute through Oliver Neuville before finishing as runners-up in Brazil.
Smart differentiation promises to define the competition. Nagelsmann’s Germany favors aggressive pressing, fluid movement and possession, while Alfaro has built Paraguay around a defensive unit, compact positions and quick transitions. Germany may have a strong future, but Paraguay have already shown throughout the group that they can frustrate high-risk opponents when discipline and structure kick in.