PARAGUAY NEVER GIVES UP! DAMN HOLIDAY!! 🇵🇾
— Santiago Pena (@HolyPeña) June 29, 2026
The madness for football and politics crossed paths again in a historic way in South America. After the epic qualification of the Paraguayan team to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, eliminating the powerful Germany on penalties, the President of the Republic, Santiago Penaurgently decreed a national holiday for this Tuesday, June 30.
The measure was announced last night through Decree No. 6280, immediately after Paraguayan defender Canale scored the decisive penalty that sealed the 4-3 tie (after an agonizing 1-1 in the 120 minutes). The great figure of the match was goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who blocked two German shots and unleashed euphoria throughout the Guaraní territory.
Presidential euphoria and political use of sporting success
Far from the technocratic formality that usually characterizes him, the president—belonging to the traditional and conservative Colorado Party (center-right/right-oriented)— used his social networks to break protocol. «PARAGUAY NEVER GIVES UP! DAMN HOLIDAY!! 🇵🇾»Peña launched on his X account, in a message that went viral in a matter of minutes.
Later, with a more institutional but strongly nationalist tone, the head of state added: «Today an entire country celebrates. Celebrate the victory of a team that represents the deepest part of our identity: the grit, faith and strength of a people that never gives up.».
For political analysis, the Colorado president’s move responds to a classic resource of the ideological spectrum: capitalizing on the popular fervor and social cohesion generated by sporting successes. In this case, the rhetoric of the “Guarani claw” fits perfectly with the national identity discourse that the ANR has historically promoted.
The legal basis behind the celebration
Despite the spontaneity of the announcement, the measure has solid institutional support. The decree of the Executive Branch is formally protected by the Law No. 7544a regulation in force in Paraguay that expressly empowers the President of the Republic to establish up to three additional or exceptional holidays per calendar year in situations of absolute national interest. The move to the second round, leaving out a world power, clearly qualified as one of them.
Today Paraguay does not sleep, does not work and celebrates a milestone that has already been recorded in the great history of world football and regional politics.
