Top 5 World Cup knockout shocks – Paraguay win hurts Germany again
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Top 5 World Cup knockout shocks – Paraguay win hurts Germany again
Germany out of World Cup after loss on penalties to Paraguay
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xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoBy Manasi PathakPublished On 30 Jun 202630 Jun 2026Monday’s action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 added another chapter to the book of all-time knockout upsets in the tournament, with title contenders Germany stunned by Paraguay at the round of 32 stage, adding yet more spice to an event that has already delivered plenty of drama at the group stage.
Al Jazeera takes a look at the top five upsets in World Cup knockout history: Jose Canale wrote his name in the history books, steering longshots Paraguay to a thrilling shootout win over four-time champions Germany in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. Many thought Paraguay would be sent home packing after the group stage when the USA thrashed them in their tournament opener, but the South Americans turned their pain into purpose in no time, knocking out Germany 4-3 on penalties for the biggest upset in World Cup knockout history. Germany have been on the receiving end of more than one knockout upset – and this one dates back to the 1994 World Cup on American soil.
In their first-ever and only meeting at the World Cup, minnows Bulgaria toppled the defending champions in the quarterfinals, sealing a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany that went down as one of the biggest shocks of the competition. A rare golden goal decided Italy’s fate at the 2002 World Cup when co-hosts South Korea knocked them out in the round of 16. The Italians got off to a promising start when Christian Vieri gave them an early lead, but South Korea’s Seol Ki-Hyun struck a late equaliser, and Ahn Jung-Hwan sealed the deal, becoming the third of just four to score a golden goal at the global finals.
The 2-1 victory helped South Korea achieve a deep run at the tournament as they finished fourth, their best result in the World Cup to date.
How 🌐 DW News Covers It
"Only thing I can say is I'm sorry. To disappoint again is not a nice feeling," Kai Havertz, who missed one of Germany's penalties, told public broadcaster ZDF afterwards. "We tried to [attack via] the flanks, but unfortunately it didn't really work out.
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