Paraguay Coach: These Players Are Now Legends

Paraguay's footballers have cemented their place as legends after eliminating Germany in a penalty shootout in the World Cup Round of 16, declared head coach Gustavo Alfaro.

“We never believe we are defeated,” Alfaro stated after the match. “Twenty-six warriors stepped onto the field and returned as legends.”

The Argentine tactician had faced criticism after Paraguay lost their opening match of the 2026 World Cup 4-1 to co-hosts USA, subsequently scoring only one more goal across their remaining two group stage fixtures.

Nevertheless, the South Americans advanced to the Round of 16, where they stunned Germany 4-3 on penalties after the teams were locked at 1-1 following 120 minutes. This marked the four-time champions' first-ever World Cup penalty shootout defeat. Alfaro suggested that the heavy loss to the USA at the tournament's outset paved the way for this historic victory.

“Had we not learned the lesson from that defeat, we wouldn't have been prepared for this match. I told the players that we experienced an epic night. As is always the case with us, we achieve nothing without suffering. Enduring hardship is part of our identity. We knew it would be very difficult, there would be moments where we'd face problems, but we wanted to stay focused until the end and fight,” Alfaro added, extending special thanks to Jose Canale, who scored the winning penalty and whose professional career has seen him on loan spells at clubs in Paraguay, Argentina, and Mexico.

"Canale is a champion of life because he has had to overcome many difficulties. But a night like this is one of the gifts life can give you. This is divine justice," the South American coach remarked.

Paraguay will face the winner of the match between World Cup runners-up France and Sweden in the round of 16 on July 4th.