Germany and Paraguay face off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 at Boston Stadium on Monday, with both sides aiming to secure a place in the last 16 of the tournament. The fixture is part of the inaugural Round of 32, introduced following FIFA’s expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams.
The four-time world champions enter the contest as favourites, but Paraguay’s organised defensive approach and disciplined displays throughout the group stage suggest they could provide a stern test in the single-elimination encounter.
Germany’s performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far
Germany made a flying start to their World Cup campaign, thrashing tournament debutants Curaçao 7-1 in their opening match. Die Mannschaft followed that up with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast to secure qualification for the Round of 32 with a game to spare.
However, Julian Nagelsmann’s side suffered a surprise setback in their final group-stage fixture, going down 2-1 to Ecuador. Despite the setback, Germany finished top of Group E on six points, edging Ivory Coast on the head-to-head tiebreaker after both teams ended level on points.
The Germans have now returned to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in eight years. Having crashed out in the group stage at both the 2018 and 2022 editions, they will be eager to make a deep run and re-establish themselves among the tournament’s elite.
Top goal scorer: Deniz Undav has emerged as the team’s goal-scorer so far in this tournament. The VFB Stuttgart forward has fired in three goals from three games.
ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup Round of 32 Fixtures: Full Schedule, Dates, Kick-Off Times And Format Explained
Paraguay’s performances at 2026 FIFA World Cup so far
Paraguay endured a difficult start to their World Cup campaign, suffering a 4-1 defeat to co-hosts the United States in their opening Group D fixture. Los Guaraníes bounced back in impressive fashion, edging past Türkiye 1-0 to revive their qualification hopes before holding Australia to a goalless draw in their final group-stage outing.
With one win, one draw and one defeat, Paraguay finished third in Group D. Their four-point tally was enough to seal a place in the Round of 32 as one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks Paraguay’s ninth appearance at the tournament and their first since 2010, ending a 16-year absence from football’s biggest stage. Their best World Cup run came in South Africa in 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to eventual champions Spain.
Top goal scorers: Midfielders Matías Galarza and Mauricio have scored one goal each in the tournament so far.
Germany vs Paraguay Round of 32 Match Time and Venue
The match between Germany and Paraguay will kick-off at 2.00 AM IST on Tuesday, June 30. This match will be played at the Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA.
Head to Head
Matches Played: 2
Germany wins: 1
Paraguay wins: 0
Draws: 1
Form Guide (last five matches, most recent match first):
Germany:L-W-W-W-W
Paraguay: D-W-L-W-L
Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Sets New Attendance Record, Surpasses 1994 Tournament
Germany Starting 11 (3-4-2-1): Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rüdiger, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown; Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlović; Leroy Sané, Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz; Deniz Undav.
Substitutes: Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nübel, Waldemar Anton, Malick Thiaw, David Raum, Nadiem Amiri, Leon Goretzka, Pascal Groß, Jamie Leweling, Assan Ouédraogo, Angelo Stiller, Jamal Musiala, Nick Woltemade, Maximilian Beier.
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Paraguay Starting 11 (5-3-2): Orlando Gill; Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Junior Alonso, Juan Canale; Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza; Miguel Almirón, Diego Bobadilla, Julio Enciso; Gabriel Ávalos.
Substitutes: Roberto Fernández, Gastón Olveira, Fabián Balbuena, Omar Alderete, Mauricio Magalhães, Alejandro Gamarra, Braian Ojeda, Damián Bobadilla, Gustavo Caballero, Ramón Sosa, Alex Arce, Isidro Pitta, Antonio Sanabria, Alexandro Maidana, Gustavo Velázquez.
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Players to watch
Deniz Undav (Germany): Deniz Undav has not been a regular in Germany’s starting XI. Despite that, he has been the team’s most productive attacking player at the tournament, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
Julio Enciso (Paraguay): Julio Enciso is one of Paraguay’s key attacking players. The 22-year-old has Premier League experience with Brighton & Hove Albion and Ipswich Town, and currently plays for Strasbourg in France. Enciso is expected to shoulder much of Paraguay’s attacking responsibility against Germany.
How To Watch LIVE Telecast?
The Germany vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 match will be televised live in India on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD television channels.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The Germany vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 game will be streamed live on the ZEE5 app and website in English, Malayalam, Bangla and Hindi.
Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Endrick-Ancelotti Memes Explode On Internet. Here’s why
Essential Business Intelligence,
Sharp Market Insights,
Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
