Germany and Paraguay are set to collide in one of the most compelling round-of-32 fixtures at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the match scheduled for Foxborough's Boston Stadium on Monday evening.

The winner advances to the last 16, where either Die Mannschaft or Los Guaraníes will face the victor of the France and Sweden showdown.

Germany's campaign so far

Julian Nagelsmann's side began Group E in commanding fashion, claiming back-to-back wins over Curacao and Ivory Coast, before suffering a shock defeat to Ecuador. Despite that stumble, Germany possess one of the tournament's most talented squads and remain among the early favourites to lift the trophy.

A notable highlight has been the impact of Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav, who has scored three goals as a substitute. His strike rate averages out to one goal every 50 minutes and 47 seconds off the bench — a return that places him ahead of both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe by that measure.

Paraguay's unlikely route to the knockouts

Gustavo Alfaro's side scraped into the knockout rounds with a single point from Group D, benefiting from the World Cup's new third-place qualification rankings following their campaign against Australia.

It is a familiar story for Paraguay, however. They have reached the knockout stage in three of their last four World Cup appearances, even if a round-of-16 exit has followed on each occasion.

History and prediction

Germany's recent World Cup record has been a far cry from their storied past — back-to-back group stage exits snapped a 64-year run of knockout football. Yet when it comes to Paraguay specifically, history favours Die Mannschaft. Their last competitive encounter came at the 2002 World Cup, a tournament in which Germany went on to reach the final.

As four-time world champions with a squad packed with quality, Germany are expected to have too much for Paraguay. Undav, the tournament's standout super sub, looks well placed to influence proceedings once more.

Score prediction: Germany 3-0 Paraguay