Germany Promises Action After Latest World Cup Failure

Germany's surprising elimination by Paraguay in the World Cup Round of 16 will trigger changes, the country's football association announced, a day after the four-time world champions exited a major tournament early for the third consecutive time.

The Germans, who were knocked out in the group stage of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, suffered a 3-4 penalty shootout defeat to underdog Paraguay. They have failed to win a knockout match in the tournament since last lifting the trophy in Brazil in 2014.

"In the coming days, we will calmly examine the reasons why the team failed to realize its potential and did not meet its own expectations, nor those of the German football community," said federation president Bernd Neuendorf in a statement.

"After such a devastating blow, we cannot and will not simply return to business as usual as we look towards the tasks ahead," he added.

Neuendorf, who has been at the helm since 2022, has overseen the national team's failures in two World Cups, while also seeing them unable to progress past the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, which the country hosted.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who took over in September 2023 and has a contract until 2028, stated after the elimination that he would like to stay, but that the decision was no longer his. Fans and television pundits in Germany questioned whether Nagelsmann, who on Monday became the youngest coach at 38 years old to manage a World Cup knockout match in the last 40 years, should be given another chance.

"Following the bitter loss against Paraguay and our elimination from the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, I met yesterday with national team coach Julian Nagelsmann and the sporting staff, including Rudi Völler. We agree that our performance at the World Cup did not meet our standards," Neuendorf said.

"We would like to thank all the fans who supported us – both in the USA and Canada, and at home. We are all deeply disappointed that our shared journey ended so early,” the head of German football added.