Kroos and Ballack Join Chorus of Criticism for Germany After World Cup Failure

Toni Kroos and Michael Ballack are the latest German legends to criticize the catastrophic performance of the German national team and their dramatic penalty shootout exit against Paraguay in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.

“Currently, we don't have a single world-class player. We have players with world-class potential, but that doesn't mean they are world-class. World-class players right now are deciding the outcome of all World Cup matches – and leading the top scorer charts. We don't have anyone like that, we have to be honest about it.

When we had successful tournaments, I always had the feeling that we could shift into a higher gear. This team is currently no longer capable of that. We just think we're better than Paraguay – and that we'll somehow win,” Kroos said on the podcast he hosts with his brother Felix.

Michael Ballack, meanwhile, stated: “Our virtues, which have always distinguished Germany, have somewhat been lost. This team cannot cope with difficult situations. We start well, have 10-20 good minutes, maybe even score a goal. But at the first sign of trouble, perhaps conceding a goal or making a mistake, everything collapses – and then you ask yourself: 'Why?' – this is primarily due to the players.

The coach is extremely important in such a structure, but the players also handle a lot themselves on the field – or rather, they should. This personal responsibility simply has to be there. When the guys look each other in the eye, then you know who you can count on.”