Paraguay prisoners and jail guards hugged after their country’s World Cup win over Germany, and someone caught the moment on camera

A video has surfaced showing prisoners and prison guards in Paraguay celebrating together after their country’s penalty shootout win over Germany in the Round of 32, as detailed by BroBible. The match, played on Monday, ended in a 4-3 shootout victory for Paraguay, sending the South American nation through to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup. The footage shows the celebration taking place inside the facility as the result was confirmed.

Paraguay took the lead in the 42nd minute on a goal from 22-year-old attacker Julio Enciso. Germany equalized early in the second half through Kai Havertz, pushing the match into extra time and eventually a penalty shootout that Paraguay won 4-3.

Following the win, Paraguay president Santiago Peña declared Tuesday a national holiday to mark the team’s performance. In a public statement, Peña said the qualification proved that teamwork and sacrifice make extraordinary goals possible, adding, “Today, the Albirroja celebrates. Today, all of Paraguay celebrates!”

This turnaround has been a long time coming for Paraguay

The current squad is led by Argentine coach Gustavo Alfaro, who took over in August 2024 when the team had picked up just five points from 18 in a difficult qualifying campaign. Alfaro said at his unveiling that he wanted Paraguay to become a team defined by fight and resilience, a message that echoed elsewhere in a story about a service dog whose instincts split opinion online this week.

Under his leadership, Paraguay secured automatic qualification by finishing sixth in the CONMEBOL region, picking up notable wins over Brazil and Argentina along the way. Paraguay is now set to face France, considered among the favorites to win the tournament, in the Round of 16 on Saturday, July 4.

A win would send them to the quarterfinals for the first time since South Africa 2010, when they reached that stage before losing 1-0 to Spain, according to FIFA’s official tournament history. Paraguay has appeared in nine World Cups since 1930, with contributions from past squads that included goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, similar to how online reactions this week ranged from a debate over a Chick-fil-A order at FIFA to unrelated viral moments circulating alongside the tournament coverage.