Germany’s World Cup campaign ended in the round of 32 for the third consecutive tournament, as Paraguay prevailed 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Julio Enciso headed the South Americans into a shock lead three minutes before half-time, exploiting a rare lapse in the German back line. Kai Havertz levelled nine minutes after the restart, glancing a Florian Wirtz cross into the far corner, but Julian Nagelsmann’s side could not convert 75 per cent possession and 21 attempts into a decisive second goal.

The contest pivoted in the 103rd minute, when Jonathan Tah powered in a header from a corner, only for Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed to disallow it after a VAR review. The officials ruled that Waldemar Anton had impeded goalkeeper Orlando Gill, a decision that drew fierce criticism from German pundits and from former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who likened the block to a routine set-piece tactic. In the shootout, Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Tah all failed from the spot, while Paraguay’s José Canale converted the sudden-death kick to seal the nation’s first World Cup knockout victory since 2010.

German media described the result as a “nightmare” and a “fiasco”, with outlets such as Bild and Kicker questioning Nagelsmann’s tactical approach and the team’s lack of cutting edge. Captain Joshua Kimmich offered a blunt assessment, stating that Germany “did not play well against any opponent” and “fully deserved to be eliminated”. Nagelsmann, who has a contract until Euro 2028, insisted he would not “run away”, but the DFB announced a review of the performance, and former internationals including Lothar Matthäus called for a change. Analysts in London noted that Germany have now failed to win a World Cup knockout match since the 2014 final, a streak that spans three tournaments and has eroded their status as an elite tournament side.

Paraguay, ranked 41st by FIFA, celebrated the victory as the greatest of coach Gustavo Alfaro’s career. Alfaro praised his players’ “absolute demonstration of self-belief” and their disciplined execution of a game plan that denied Germany space in the final third. The result sets up a round-of-16 meeting with the winner of the France-Sweden tie, offering the Albirroja a chance to match their quarter-final run from 2010.