The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already delivered no shortage of unexpected results across its group stage, and the knockout round has kicked off with one of the most stunning upsets the tournament has ever seen. On June 30, 2026, Paraguay pulled off a historic victory, eliminating four-time world champion Germany from the round of 16 via penalty shootout to add a new entry to the long list of shocking results in World Cup knockout stage history.
After a rocky start to the tournament that saw the South American side suffer a lopsided opening defeat to the United States, few analysts gave Paraguay any chance against a four-time champion Germany. But guided by manager José Canale, the team fought through 120 minutes of goalless play to force penalties, ultimately securing a 4-3 shootout win that sent them through to the next round and sent one of the tournament’s most dominant nations packing early. Defender Gustavo Gómez, who netted his side’s decisive penalty, led the celebrations after the final German attempt was saved, securing Paraguay’s place in World Cup folklore.
This upset is far from the first time a heavy pre-tournament favorite has fallen to an underdog in the World Cup knockout round. To put Paraguay’s shock win in context, here are the five biggest knockout stage upsets in World Cup history, now headlined by the 2026 result:
1. Germany vs Paraguay (2026): As the latest and one of the most staggering upsets, this result tops the list. A four-time world champion coming into the tournament as a top contender, Germany was widely expected to ease past a Paraguay side that only just scraped out of the group stage. Instead, Canale’s disciplined defensive performance held Germany’s high-powered attack scoreless through extra time, and cool finishing from the penalty spot secured a win that will be remembered by soccer fans for decades.
2. Germany vs Bulgaria (1994): Germany has been on the wrong end of major knockout upsets before. At the 1994 World Cup hosted by the United States, Bulgaria, making just its second ever World Cup finals appearance, pulled off a shock 2-1 quarter-final win over defending champion Germany. Yordan Letchkov scored the iconic winning goal that sent Bulgaria through to the semi-finals, and the result remains one of the biggest upsets of 1990s World Cup soccer.
3. Italy vs South Korea (2002): Co-hosts South Korea delivered a fairytale run at the 2002 World Cup, and their most famous result came in the round of 16 against 1998 runners-up Italy. After Italy took an early lead through Christian Vieri, South Korea equalized late through Seol Ki-Hyun to force extra time. Ahn Jung-Hwan then scored a golden goal to send the co-hosts through, on their way to a historic fourth-place finish that remains the best ever result by an East Asian nation at the men’s World Cup.
4. Brazil vs Germany (2014): The 7-1 semi-final defeat Brazil suffered on home soil at the 2014 World Cup remains one of the most humiliating results in international soccer history. Missing star striker Neymar through injury, the host nation collapsed against a clinical German side, conceding five goals in the first 30 minutes of the match. A late consolation goal from Oscar did little to soften the blow, with Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari calling it “the worst day of my life.” Germany went on to win the tournament, lifting the trophy a week later.
5. Morocco vs Portugal (2022): Morocco cemented its reputation as a giant-killer at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals after a 1-0 quarter-final upset over Portugal. Led by their fearless defensive organization, the Atlas Lions held off a Portuguese side led by star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, even playing the final stages with 10 men after a second-half red card. The result sent shockwaves around the world, and confirmed Morocco as one of the most exciting underdog stories in modern World Cup history.
With the 2026 World Cup already matching and exceeding the string of surprises that marked its group stage, Paraguay’s historic win has set the tone for a knockout round that continues to defy expectations, proving that no favorite is ever safe in the world’s biggest soccer tournament.