Germany captain Joshua Kimmich has conceded that the four-time champions “fully deserved” their shock elimination from the 2026 World Cup following a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay that ended a 50-year record of dominance from the spot.
The Round of 32 tie finished 1-1 after extra time in Boston on Monday before Paraguay prevailed 4-3 on penalties. The defeat marked Germany’s first failure in a major tournament shootout since 1976, halting a sequence of six consecutive victories that had become the stuff of football legend.
Jonathan Tah, Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade all failed to convert for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, while José Canale slammed home the decisive kick to send Paraguay through. The loss concluded a disjointed campaign for Germany, who had opened with impressive victories against Curacao (7-1) and Ivory Coast (2-1) but stumbled to a 2-1 defeat against Ecuador that left them vulnerable in the knockout phase.
Captain’s blunt admission
Speaking in the mixed zone after the final whistle, Kimmich told Sky Germany: “It feels awful.” The midfielder refused to shield his teammates from criticism, stating: “We didn’t play well against any opponent. On three occasions we had major problems against teams that are not world-class. That’s a fact.”
His assessment that Germany “fully deserved to be eliminated” represents a stark admission from the squad’s leadership figure. The elimination marks Germany’s earliest knockout-stage exit since the tournament expanded its format, and comes after previous group-stage failures at the 2018 and 2022 editions.
Legends demand consequences
The comprehensive nature of the defeat has sparked fierce criticism from former World Cup winners. Jürgen Klinsmann, speaking to ESPN, labelled the performance “an embarrassment” and questioned the team’s preparation. “It looked like they were not prepared for penalty shootouts, which is insane, because we usually love penalty shootouts,” he said.
Klinsmann, who managed Germany at the 2006 World Cup, compared the exit to previous failures in Qatar and Russia. “Everything from the top to the bottom needs to be questioned and discussed, and obviously there will be consequences,” he insisted.
2014 World Cup winner Mats Hummels, working as a pundit for MagentaTV, delivered an equally scathing verdict. “It’s close to embarrassing,” Hummels said. “It simply hurts that Germany currently plays almost no role in football.”
Hummels argued that the decade-long decline—Germany has not mounted a serious tournament challenge since Euro 2016—requires fundamental change. “On the side of those in charge, this is crying out for consequences,” he stated, calling for discussions regarding both Nagelsmann’s position and the federation’s direction. He also suggested experienced players in their early 30s should consider international retirement, noting: “You may also need to look at players who have had several chances to achieve good results for Germany at tournaments.”
The fall from grace leaves German football facing intense scrutiny, with the 2014 champions now needing substantial rebuilding ahead of future competitions.