Germany's World Cup campaign ended in humiliation as they lost a penalty shootout to Paraguay for the first time in their history, with four players reportedly refusing to take a spot kick. The defeat, which marked Germany's third consecutive early World Cup exit, was compounded by revelations of reluctance among the squad, prompting fierce criticism from media and politicians alike.
Shootout disaster and player reluctance
Germany had won six straight major tournament shootouts, including two against England, and had not lost one since the 1976 European Championship final against Czechoslovakia. However, against Paraguay, Kai Havertz was one of three players to miss from the spot, and the team ultimately fell 4-2 in the shootout. According to German outlet Bild, four members of Julian Nagelsmann's squad—Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, and Malick Thiaw—were hesitant to step forward for the sixth penalty. Goretzka, a 72-cap veteran, was asked twice by captain Joshua Kimmich but flatly refused. Centre-half Jonathan Tah, who had never taken a professional penalty, eventually stepped up and blasted his effort over the crossbar, sealing Germany's fate.
National outrage and political fallout
The defeat triggered brutal headlines in German media. Bild's front page called it "The next German football nightmare," while columnist Marion Horn criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his supportive tweet, calling it a "disaster" and "devastating." Horn wrote: "The brutal World Cup defeat against Paraguay, the coach, the attitude and the performance of the German players are symptomatic of the state of the entire country. We are at best second-class: Our economy is experiencing an unprecedented downward spiral... And German football is now living solely off its past reputation." Die Welt columnist Ulf Poschardt echoed the sentiment in a piece headlined "Only a successful Germany is worth living in." Kicker described the result as "a damning indictment of German football – and Nagelsmann."
