Paraguay draw Germany in the Round of 32 and the noise is deafening

Monday night: Germany in the Round of 32

Your path forward is brutal and beautiful all at once. Paraguay face Germany on Monday in the Round of 32, kickoff 22:30 CEST (2). You beat Türkiye 1–0 to get here, a result that knocked them out and kept you alive. Now the four-time world champions stand between Paraguay and the last 16.

The German TV insult that says it all

German commentator Jonas Friedrich did not even pretend to respect you. "That is no opponent, with all due respect: that is a third-class team," he said on MagentaTV. "That cannot be a serious challenge for the German national team in the Round of 32" (4). Print that quote and put it on the dressing room wall.

"Impossible does not exist"

Paraguay's camp is not hiding. The mood back home is buoyant. A liveblog on Monday night swung heavily toward Paraguayan fans writing things like "impossible does not exist" (7). Ecuador's World Cup run has become a reference point, a smaller South American side making a deep knockout push (3).

Völler promises a different Germany

Rudi Völler, Germany's sporting director, is publicly calm but firm. "I am completely relaxed, on Monday the team will give it everything," he said. Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, and Florian Wirtz were all named as players who must deliver (5). No complacency from their camp, even if the TV booth thinks this is already over.

Rettig: "The knife is at our throat"

Germany's DFB boss Andreas Rettig took a sharper tone. "The knife is at our throat," he said ahead of the match (1) (6). A group-stage exit for the host nation is unthinkable. Paraguay are the team standing between Germany and that disaster. The pressure is entirely on them.