Four-time World Cup champions Germany have crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the round of 32, falling to a historic penalty shootout defeat against underdog Paraguay that has sent shockwaves through global football and left the future of German head coach Julian Nagelsmann hanging by a thread.
Once a consistent powerhouse expected to challenge for major tournament titles, Germany’s fall from the upper echelon of men’s international football has been laid bare by this latest early exit. Including their history as West Germany, Germany hold four World Cup triumphs and another four runner-up finishes, alongside three European Championship titles from six final appearances. But since their last World Cup win in 2014, the four-time champions have now suffered two group-stage eliminations and one knockout-round exit in three consecutive World Cup tournaments.
Coming into the match, Paraguay ranked 41st in the FIFA global rankings, compared to Germany’s 10th place, and few gave the South American side a chance against the European giants. But Paraguay’s deep, organized, and resolute defensive block frustrated Germany from kickoff at the Boston venue, despite the four-time champions holding 75% of possession. Former Brighton and Ipswich Town forward Julio Enciso gave Paraguay a surprise opening lead, which held until Arsenal midfielder Kai Havertz leveled the score with a glancing header early in the second half.
Controversy struck moments later, when a headed goal from German defender Jonathan Tah was ruled out by VAR for an alleged foul by a teammate in the build-up, a decision that German observers have widely labeled as incorrect. The match stayed level at 1-1 through extra time, forcing a penalty shootout – a scenario Germany had never lost in World Cup history, with four previous shootout wins from four attempts.
That perfect record fell apart quickly. Havertz saw his opening penalty saved by Paraguay goalkeeper Carlos Gill, and Newcastle forward Nick Woltemade followed with another saved attempt. Though Paraguay squandered two spot-kicks of their own to throw Germany a lifeline, Tah blasted his effort over the crossbar, allowing Paraguay defender Jose Canale to convert the decisive penalty and seal a 4-3 shootout win for the underdogs.
The result leaves Paraguay advancing to the last 16, where they will face the winner of the round of 32 match between France and Sweden on Saturday. For Germany, it is another devastating early exit that has already sparked widespread calls for Nagelsmann, who took over as national team head coach in September 2023, to step down. The young coach, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2022, only led Germany to a quarter-final finish when the nation hosted Euro 2024, and his position is now under extreme pressure.
Germany began their 2026 World Cup campaign with promising results, thrashing first-time qualifiers Curacao 7-1 before coming from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 to secure top spot in their group, even falling 2-1 to Ecuador in the final group match with their knockout place already secure. But the manner of the defeat to Paraguay has left Nagelsmann fighting to keep his job, with social media already flooded with calls for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to replace him.
Speaking after the final whistle, Nagelsmann acknowledged the disappointment of the result, admitting that Germany no longer belong in the conversation of global football’s first-tier nations. “When you exit the World Cup after you play Paraguay it is very bitter. It is very hurtful,” he said. “This is the third elimination in a row, so we are not part of the first-class teams any more.”
Reactions from former German players and pundits have been scathing, with most agreeing Nagelsmann must face consequences for the result. “If you consider the whole tournament, the way we played, it is a deserved loss,” former Germany defender Arne Friedrich told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Nagelsmann has to face the consequences. It is very disappointing, but that is sport. I would definitely say the journey continues without Nagelsmann.”
Former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger added to the criticism on BBC One, saying: “It’s hard to explain how Germany got into this tournament with so many problems. It’s unacceptable. It doesn’t look good for Nagelsmann. In the last few months, he hasn’t dealt with situations well. With the expanded World Cup format, to go out so early would be tough to take for any big nation.”
Even before the Paraguay match, Nagelsmann faced criticism over his tactical approach, with Klopp – who was working as a pundit for German television during the tournament – saying Germany used “wrong methods” in their defeat to Ecuador. That warning was not heeded, as Paraguay’s deep defensive block and physical intensity again left Germany unable to break through.
Nagelsmann has repeatedly said he will not step down voluntarily, stating after the match: “I’m not someone who runs away. If we’re going to do a survey today in Germany, people are not going to speak about me positively obviously. I did feel the support in the stadium. I don’t think everyone in Germany will agree with me staying on and continuing as manager of the team. I’m not going to step back only because we are eliminated. If the DFB [German Football Association] want me to continue, I am going to continue. I know how the industry works and a lot of people now want me to leave. I want to continue if the German FA wants me.”
Prominent German football journalist Raphael Honigstein said the result will almost certainly end Nagelsmann’s tenure, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “If I want to be cynical and sarcastic, all we would have earned is a right to get absolutely destroyed by France. You can get knocked out, but you can’t get knocked out against Paraguay at this stage in this manner. That is why this is not going to be a defeat without repercussions and an aftermath. If you look at the whole tournament, it just wasn’t enough. Germany has been poor. There were too many big calls not coming off for Julian Nagelsmann. It is going to be very hard for him to survive this. I think it will be over for him, I am afraid.”
Analysts and former players have begun questioning the long-term direction of German player development, pointing to a shift in priorities that has eroded the nation’s once-vaunted winning mentality. Hitzlsperger explained: “For a long time, player development in Germany has been all about passing, style of play and being tactically innovative but there’s one element that maybe we didn’t focus on enough, and that is having a bit of edge. We’ve lost that aura that made teams fear us. Other teams respect us but they don’t fear us any more. We’re no longer as difficult to beat, and we lack the physical presence we once had.
“For many years, Spain have been the team everyone wants to copy. It took many years but when we won the World Cup in 2014 we had great players but also a winning ethos. Now it seems we just focus on nice football. We need to start addressing this at academy level. What is football all about? It’s about winning, of course. The best example is Argentina: they have that perfect combination of being a team who can be nasty to play against but at the same time they have players who can create something out of nothing. We don’t have a Lionel Messi, of course, but we should be closer to where those top teams are.”