“Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase the ball for 90 minutes and, in the end, the Germans always win.” Gary Lineker’s famous facts have defined Germany’s history at major tournaments for many years. No part of that aura was stronger than the penalty shootout, where Germany created an unblemished World Cup record that dates back more than four decades.Then the record ended on Monday night.After a grueling 120 minutes in a 1-1 draw at the Boston Stadium, Paraguay defeated Germany 4-3 on penalties in the Round of 32, handing the world’s top four players their first World Cup defeat and ending the tournament’s longest streak.
The World Cup’s biggest power in Germany was broken
Germany went into the tournament with a record that spanned 44 years.Their remarkable streak began in a thrilling 1982 World Cup match against France. After a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra time, West Germany won 5-4 on penalties to reach the final, although Uli Stielike became the only German player to miss the World Cup when his effort was saved by Jean-Luc Ettori.This omission remained the only blemish on German history for the next forty years.West Germany followed that up by beating hosts Mexico 4-1 in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup after another goal, before beating England 4-3 in the semi-finals at Italy ’90 following a 1-1 draw after extra time.Their fourth win came at Germany 2006, where they beat Argentina 4-2 on penalties after another 1-1 draw in Berlin, extending their record to four wins from four shots.Between Stielike’s penalty save in 1982 and the start of the 2026 Round of 32, every German penalty awarded in the World Cup shootout found the net.
Paraguay won when all opponents failed
Germany looked set to continue this remarkable tradition even after a difficult night against Paraguay.Despite having 75 percent, completing 753 with an accuracy of 92 percent and finishing with 21 shots compared to Paraguay’s seven, Julian Nagelsmann’s side was repeatedly frustrated by Orlando Gill and Paraguay’s controlling defense.Paraguay stunned Germany in the 42nd minute when Julio Enciso headed home MatÃas Galarza’s cross before Kai Havertz restored parity with a well-placed header in the 54th minute.Germany thought they had completed the comeback in extra time when Jonathan Tah headed in a corner in the 102nd minute, with VAR disallowing the goal after Waldemar Anton had illegally obstructed goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
German players are greeted at the end of the 32nd World Cup soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
With nothing to separate the teams after 120 minutes, the game went to penalties, where Germany’s biggest World Cup weapon unexpectedly eluded them.Havertz saw the opening penalty saved by Gill MaurÃcio before converting for Paraguay. Although Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Nadiem Amiri all scored, Nick Woltemade was denied by Gill before Jonathan Tah failed to convert in sudden death.José Canale coolly slotted home the penalty to seal a famous 4-3 victory.The defeat changed Germany’s unbeaten run at the World Cup to four wins and one defeat.
The numbers behind Germany’s amazing heritage
Despite the defeat, Germany’s record from penalties remains one of the best in World Cup history.In five World Cup games, German players have now taken 24 penalties, converting 20 of them. Prior to Paraguay, Stielike’s only effort against France in 1982 had failed to find the net. Against Paraguay alone, Germany missed three times when Havertz and Woltemade were both denied by Orlando Gill before Tah failed to convert in sudden death.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (1) acknowledges the fans after defeat during the 32nd World Cup soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
German footballers also made a name for themselves in that five-shooter game. Facing 24 opposition penalties, he prevented ten from finding the net through eight games and two misses by opposition players, which again proves why Germany are considered the most successful champions in the game of football.Their success extends beyond the shootout. In normal World Cup matches, Germany have converted 12 of the 14 penalties they have been awarded in the match, marking a slow record since then.
Paraguay joins the World Cup alone
While Germany lost the longest football record, Paraguay cemented one of their own.The South Americans remain unbeaten in every World Cup tournament they have competed in. Their first win came in the 2010 Round of 16, when they defeated Japan 5-3 after a warm-up to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
Paraguayan players celebrate with Paraguayan soccer player Orlando Gill, right, after winning the 32nd World Cup soccer match between Germany and Paraguay in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Their win in Germany extends that record to two wins from two shootouts, making Paraguay, along with Croatia, one of the few nations to have gone through multiple World Cups without losing.For Germany, the loss represents more than just another early World Cup exit. It marks the end of a psychological advantage that has survived generations of players, managers and celebrations, finally proving that even the most enduring football history can be broken.
