Foxborough, United States— Four-time world champions Germany were knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a 4-3 defeat to Paraguay in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time in the Round of 32.
The result has been overshadowed by reports of an unusual incident within the German camp during the decisive shootout. German newspaper *Bild* reported that after the first five penalties ended with the score level at 3-3, four German players were unwilling to take the sixth penalty in the sudden-death phase.
According to the report, Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown and Malick Thiaw all declined the responsibility, leaving defender Jonathan Tah to step forward. The penalty was reportedly the first of Tah’s professional career, and his missed effort handed Paraguay a place in the next round.
The report also claimed that Germany captain Joshua Kimmich twice asked experienced midfielder Leon Goretzka to take the penalty, but the 72-cap international chose not to do so, adding to the scrutiny surrounding Germany’s elimination.
Germany had entered the tournament with an emphatic 7-1 victory over Curaçao before securing a hard-fought win against Ivory Coast in the group stage. However, a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador in their final group match exposed defensive weaknesses that ultimately carried into the knockout rounds.
Against Paraguay, Germany equalized after falling behind, while Tah appeared to score the winner during extra time with a header that was later ruled out following a VAR review. With the match remaining level at 1-1, the contest was decided by penalties.
Germany’s shootout was further affected by missed penalties from Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah, while Paraguay converted the decisive kick to seal a memorable victory.
The defeat marks Germany’s first-ever World Cup elimination through a penalty shootout and extends a disappointing run in recent tournaments, raising fresh questions about the team’s performances on football’s biggest stage.
Neither the German Football Association nor the players involved had publicly commented on the reported claims regarding the penalty shootout at the time of publication.
