Germany Faces Criticism After Historic World Cup Penalty Shootout Loss to Paraguay

For the first time in its history, the German national football team was eliminated from the World Cup via a penalty shootout, losing to Paraguay in the round of 32 on June 30, 2026. The match ended in a dramatic shootout after both teams scored five penalties each, but Germany ultimately fell short. Captain Joshua Kimmich attempted to organize the order of penalty takers beyond the initial five, but key players including Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, and Malik Ziao hesitated or refused to step up under pressure. Notably, Jonathan Tah, who had never taken a penalty in his career before, took a shot and missed.

According to the German publication Bild, Kimmich asked Brown and Goretzka if they would take the sixth penalty, but Goretzka’s skeptical reaction led Kimmich to place him ninth in the kicking order. Goretzka later entered the game as a substitute but had little impact. The overall performance was described as lacking creativity and energy, especially among Bayern Munich stars. The German football community harshly criticized Goretzka, with some calling him a coward for avoiding the penalty.

In response to the defeat, German Football Association (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf issued a statement acknowledging the team’s failure to meet expectations. He revealed that he had a lengthy discussion with head coach Julian Nagelsmann and the technical staff, including Andreas Rettig and Rudi Feller. Neuendorf emphasized that the association will carefully analyze the reasons behind the team’s underperformance and will not simply move on from this significant setback, especially given the challenges ahead.

The loss marks a major disappointment for Germany, a traditional football powerhouse, and raises questions about the team’s mental resilience and leadership during high-pressure moments in major tournaments.