Read 3 minutesJune 30, 2026 06:10 PM IST
like Germany made a shock exit from the World Cup, losing to Paraguay On Tuesday, they lost in a penalty shoot-out for the first time in their World Cup history. Former German player Jürgen Klinsmann was stunned by the developments and called the result a disgrace.
“Obviously it’s a very sad day for all of us in Germany, because we didn’t expect to get out of the round of 32. And the way we got out is very disappointing. In 120 minutes, the team didn’t seem ready to take control of the situation. They weren’t energetic enough, they weren’t decisive, we were able to beat the attacking team in this battle. It’s going to be a tough game,” Klinsmann told ESPN.
“Even at the end it seems that they were not ready for the penalty shootout, which is crazy for us, because we like penalty shootouts, usually. The way we exited tonight is devastating, an embarrassment, which nobody expected. It’s as terrible as the exit, as terrible as the exit four years ago in Germany, “Eight years ago there was a huge game in Russia. he added.
“It’s a very sad day for all of us in Germany. … The way we came out is, I think, very, very disappointing.”
Jurgen Klinsmann reacts to Germany’s round of 32 defeat by Paraguay ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/sZIBKXGylW
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The round of 32 exit against Paraguay was the latest in a long line of disappointing World Cup results. In Qatar in 2022, in a group that included Spain, Costa Rica and Japan, the Germans finished third and were eliminated. In Russia 2018, they finished last in a group consisting of South Korea, Sweden and Mexico and were eliminated.
On Tuesday, Jose Canale scored on the first sudden-death penalty kick, Orlando Gil made two key saves and Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties to advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 2010 in the biggest upset ever at the 2026 World Cup.
Paraguay went ahead in regulation when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half. Kai Havertz equalized for Germany in the 52nd minute.