Germany and Paraguay Lineups: Undav Finally Starts, Replacing One of the Bundesteam's Big Stars

Germany faces Paraguay in a Round of 16 clash at the 2026 World Cup. The match, kicking off tonight at 11:30 PM Bulgarian time at Gillette Stadium in Boston, pits one of the tournament favorites against a team known for its resilience and iron discipline. The winner of this tie will face the tough task of playing either France or Sweden in the next stage of the tournament.

Julian Nagelsmann's side was on an impressive winning streak, which was halted in their previous match against Ecuador, a 1-2 loss. That result brought considerable criticism for the Bundesteam and the coach himself, who will be looking to bounce back today.

You can watch the clash live on bnt.sportal.bg, which is broadcasting all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup.

Paraguay advanced to this stage as one of the best third-placed teams, relying heavily on their defensive stability. Gustavo Alfaro's team kept two clean sheets in their last three tournament matches—a 1-0 win over Turkey and a goalless draw against Australia. During the qualifiers, the team secured victories over Brazil and Argentina, which will give the players confidence that they can also handle Germany.

The history of encounters between these two rivals at the World Cup is brief but memorable. Their last official match dates back to June 15, 2002, when Germany edged out Paraguay 1-0, also in the knockout stage. Interestingly, the Bundesteam went on to reach the final that year, which they lost 0-2 to Brazil.

Julian Nagelsmann makes only two changes from the defeat to Ecuador. The biggest news in today's lineup is that "super sub" Deniz Undav finally gets a start. He takes the place of Jamal Musiala and will operate as a classic number ten behind Kai Havertz. Florian Wirtz will again feature on the left wing, with Leroy Sané on the right. The other change is the return of Nathaniel Brown to the starting left-back position. Joshua Kimmich remains at right-back, while Aleksandar Pavlović and Felix Nmecha anchor the midfield.

Paraguay's attack is led by the experienced Gabriel Ávalos, supported by Julio Enciso, Matías Galarza, and the team's star, Miguel Almirón, who returns from suspension. The South Americans will operate in a compact 4-1-4-1 formation, looking for their chances on the counter-attack.