Germany Crash Out to Paraguay on Penalties, Nagelsmann
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- Germany crashed out of the World Cup at the last-32 stage, losing 4-3 on penalties to 41st-ranked Paraguay after a 1-1 draw in extra time, despite controlling 75% of the ball.
- Kai Havertz equalised with a glancing header early in the second half, but Jonathan Tah's subsequent header was ruled out for a foul by a teammate seconds earlier and Havertz had his penalty saved.
- Julian Nagelsmann conceded "we are not part of the first-class teams any more" after his third straight tournament disappointment, yet insisted he would not "run away" if the DFB want him to stay on.
- Former Germany internationals Arne Friedrich and Thomas Hitzlsperger publicly said Nagelsmann should face consequences, with Hitzlsperger telling BBC One the performance was "unacceptable."
- Jurgen Klopp, currently working as a pundit for German television, has already criticised Germany's tactics and is being floated on social media as Nagelsmann's replacement.
- Germany had beaten Curacao 7-1 and Ivory Coast 2-1 in the group stage before losing 2-1 to Ecuador, marking a third straight underwhelming tournament since their 2014 World Cup triumph.
Why it matters: Germany's penalty loss to a team ranked 31 places below them extends a run of three consecutive tournament disappointments since their 2014 World Cup win, leaving the DFB to choose between backing a struggling Nagelsmann or turning to the publicly available Klopp. Paraguay now face France or Sweden in the last 16 on Saturday.
