Nagelsmann’s Germany collapses again: Paraguay end World Cup hopes in Boston

Germany’s World Cup curse struck once more in Boston as Paraguay eliminated the Mannschaft in the Round of 16 after a penalty shoot-out. For the third consecutive tournament, Germany exited without glory, this time after a 1-1 draw and 120 minutes of stalemate. The defeat in the penalty shoot-out followed a match where Germany dominated possession but lacked the cutting edge to break down Paraguay’s deep-lying block. Florian Wirtz and Leroy Sané struggled to find space on the flanks, while Kai Havertz’s 58th-minute header levelled the scores after Enciso had put Paraguay ahead just before half-time. Julian Nagelsmann’s side pressed in search of a winner but could not find the decisive breakthrough. Paraguay nearly doubled their lead early in the second half when Enciso forced Manuel Neuer into a save, and later saw a 2-1 disallowed for offside after VAR review. The decision sparked debate in Germany over refereeing standards. The match drifted into extra time with Germany still searching for a winner. substitute Jamal Musiala came closest but saw his effort saved by Paraguay goalkeeper Rodrigo Gill. With time expiring, Antonio Rüdiger forced a save from Gill, but the deadlock remained.

Germany’s knockout exit: Paraguay’s fortress holds in Boston

The penalty shoot-out began with Germany’s first two takers missing. Havertz saw his effort saved by Gill, and Nick Woltemade’s attempt sailed over the bar. Paraguay converted their first two penalties, leaving Germany staring elimination in the face. Only a miss from Sanabria kept the door ajar before Canale’s decisive penalty sealed the win. Kai Havertz admitted the scale of the disappointment. “It’s not easy. It’s fifty-fifty,” he said. “With all due respect, if you’re eliminated by Paraguay, you don’t deserve to go on. It feels like we’re a second-rate team. We haven’t played badly in recent tournaments, but something’s always missing.” Julian Nagelsmann defended his team’s approach but acknowledged the shortcomings. “Our possession was far too slow at times. We switched to long balls and opportunistic play, but in the end you have to beat Paraguay. We had control but lacked the killer instinct. Our two strikers were barely present in the penalty area.”

Germany and Paraguay locked in tight battle after VAR overturns Tah’s goal

He singled out the disallowed goal for Rüdiger as a turning point. “It’s a scandal that the goal was disallowed. It’s a real scandal. Some matches you have to win the ugly way, and we should have done that tonight.” Nagelsmann’s contract runs until the 2028 European Championship. “I’m available. If the German FA wants me for the Euros, I’ll do it. If not, they should tell me. I’m not someone who walks away.”