Germany’s World Cup campaign ended in the round of 32 after a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, a match defined by a disallowed goal in extra time that ignited a transatlantic dispute over officiating. With the score locked at 1-1 in the 102nd minute, defender Jonathan Tah rose to head home a corner from Nathaniel Brown, seemingly sending the three-time champions into the last 16. Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed, however, was alerted by the video assistant referee and, after reviewing the pitchside monitor, ruled out the goal for a foul by Waldemar Anton on Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill. The contact was minimal — Anton brushed Gill as the keeper attempted to rise — but Jayed judged it a deliberate obstruction. Germany’s players and bench erupted in disbelief, and the match proceeded to penalties, where Paraguay converted all four of their kicks while Germany missed one.

FIFA’s refereeing chief, the Italian Pierluigi Collina, published a statement on the governing body’s website defending the decision. Without naming Anton, Collina illustrated his explanation with a large photograph of the incident, highlighting the contact. He wrote that officials had been instructed to pay particular attention to situations “that may arise in connection with the tactical approaches of individual teams,” specifically when an attacker shows no interest in the ball and moves — even slightly — with the clear intention of impeding an opponent’s movement and preventing them from defending. “This applies especially when the tactic is aimed at stopping the opposing goalkeeper from defending his goal effectively,” Collina added. He stressed that coaches and players had been informed of the interpretation, so “it should come as no surprise when referees punish such offences.”

In Germany, the reaction was one of outrage. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann called the decision “not just a scandal, a full scandal” and insisted there was “not even the hint of a foul.” Former FIFA referee Manuel Gräfe, working as an expert for Bild, described the call as “a joke” and “a farce,” arguing that the Paraguayan goalkeeper had simply thrown himself to the ground and been rewarded. Yet the view from other corners of the football world was more divided. The former English referee Mark Clattenburg, speaking on Fox Sports in the United States, said it was “a clear foul for me.” In the Arab world, the Moroccan referee’s performance drew scrutiny; the outlet Hespress noted that Collina’s article effectively endorsed Jayed’s intervention, while German television pundit Thorsten Kinhöfer argued the VAR should not have intervened and that the referee lacked the courage to stick with the original goal.

Paraguay, who had taken an early lead through a first-half strike before Germany equalised, held their nerve in the shootout. The South Americans will now face the winner of the tie between Argentina and Denmark in the round of 16, while Germany’s earliest World Cup exit in decades leaves the tournament without one of its traditional heavyweights.