'An epic night': Paraguay reflects on journey from loss to USA to upset win

Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYTue, June 30, 2026 at 5:04 AM UTC

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FOXBOROUGH, MA — Paraguay notched one of the most shocking results of the 2026 World Cup, defeating Germany in a penalty kick shootout behind a top-tier performance from Orlando Gill and the country's first-ever knockout stage goal, scored by Julio Enciso.

La Albirroja's manager Gustavo Alfaro summed up what every Paraguayan player and fan was thinking during his post-match news conference.

"This is an epic night," Alfaro said through the FIFA translator.

Alfaro waxed poetic about his team's performance against a high-rated German squad. He frequently referenced playing against a team with "four stars on its jersey" – a nod to Germany's four World Cup victories – and opined all of his players had earned legendary status because of their victory.

The 63-year-old Argentine also detailed just how far his squad had come since its 4-1 defeat at the hands of the United States in its World Cup opener.

"The game against the U.S. was, 'Welcome to the World Cup,'" Alfaro explained. "We were really excited."

Alfaro detailed he tried to keep his squad even-keeled during that outing but that the match had gotten away from Paraguay.

Even despite "never regaining control" against the USMNT, Alfaro viewed the result as an important one.

"Even if the U.S. scores 10 goals, I would like to play that game again," Alfaro said. "This happened to us. We didn't play well. Some defeats hurt, and some defeats teach."

Alfaro felt the loss to the Americans fit into the latter category. He acknowledged that the "defeat had gone to the core of [his team's] heart" and impacted the trust all felt in relation to the national team.

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That's why he went through "a really difficult week" ahead of his squad's matchup against Turkey. And he gave them a very candid message ahead of the match.

"I told them I could not guarantee we would win against Turkey," he said. "But I knew and it was clear to me how we needed to prepare to play that match. And the players showed the capacity to absorb the knowledge very well."

Alfaro credited his players with responding as they earned a 1-0 win over Turkey. Paraguay buttoned up its defense, notching the clean sheet, and has limited their opponents to one combined goal in three matches since its loss to the United States.

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann paid homage to Paraguay's defense after its upset victory.

"I think that Paraguay defended very well," Nagelsmann opined. "This has to be said."

Alfaro was also pleased with his team's defensive effort but also pointed toward his squad's ability to play up to its competition against Germany, the 12th-ranked team in the latest FIFA World Rankings.

"Today, we could have said we were dead today and when faced with adversity, Paraguay showed the same," Alfaro said, referencing the team's resilience. "And that's the way we play. We never give up."

So, Alfaro is happy Paraguay "suffered" and "resisted" to earn the country its first-ever knockout stage victory.

Now, he is shifting his focus to his next opponent, knowing there will be no tomorrow if Paraguay can't beat the winner of the France vs. Sweden match.

"Without a doubt, this has been the biggest victory of my life," Alfaro said. "And I hope we can get another one."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paraguay reflects on journey from World Cup opener to round of 32 win

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