Paraguay President Santiago Pena has declared a national holiday for Tuesday. The celebration follows the national team's stunning 4-3 penalty shootout victory over four-time world champion Germany.
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, securing Paraguay's place in the World Cup round of 16. The upset is considered one of the tournament's biggest in recent history.
"Today, an entire country celebrates," President Pena stated. He described the team's performance as representing "the grit, the faith, and the strength of people who never give up."
The presidential decree stated the victory justified a nationwide celebration. It noted the government "cannot remain indifferent to this tremendous achievement."
Paraguay is the second South American nation to declare a holiday after beating Germany at this World Cup. Last week, Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa announced a similar holiday following his team's 2-1 group stage win.