German media furious after World Cup exit, points finger at one culprit

Pulse Sports Team 11:26 - 30 June 2026

Germany's shocking World Cup exit has triggered a furious reaction from the country's media, who are demanding changes at the top. The four-time champions were eliminated after a penalty shootout loss to Paraguay in the Round of 16, following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

The manner of the defeat was even more shocking. Germany had never before lost a World Cup penalty shootout, but that record was sensationally broken by the South Americans. They defended valiantly for 120 minutes before José Canale scored the winning spot-kick, after Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah all missed for Die Mannschaft.

This result is expected to spell the end for manager Julian Nagelsmann, who was already unpopular with some fans and media outlets. The calls for his resignation are now deafening after one of the darkest days in German football history.

The tabloid Bild wrote that Germany "delivered a truly horrific performance for most of the match. Slow. Boring. Lethargic. This is another German football nightmare!" Spiegel called the event "the decline of a once-great footballing nation" and added: "Germany's World Cup failure also bears Nagelsmann's name."

Sky Sport Germany commented that Nagelsmann's team "lacked everything: speed, ideas, penetration, chances" in the first half. A number of "established players" were heavily criticised, including Arsenal star Havertz, and the entire generation was labelled a "failure."

Nagelsmann again bore the brunt of the criticism, with the report adding: "The end, as bitter as it was, is no surprise. That's why things cannot continue this way."

In a poll on the Sky Sport Germany website, 93 percent of voters called for Nagelsmann, whose contract runs until 2028, to leave his post.

Bild has already clearly identified its favourite for a replacement: Jürgen Klopp. The publication called the former Liverpool manager "uniquely qualified to save German football" after Nagelsmann failed to do so. A brutal comment added: "On the contrary, he drove full speed into a wall."

Foreign media also did not miss the chance to cover the failure. Spanish newspaper Marca declared: "Germany is no longer Germany. They failed to get past the group stage in two consecutive World Cups – an unprecedented feat.

On their third attempt, they succeeded. But they didn't get any further. Paraguay sent them home in the first knockout round after penalties – a discipline in which the Germans had previously been flawless at the World Cup. Germany is not what it used to be," the publication added.