Germany crash out of World Cup on penalties to Paraguay as Hitzlsperger says side 'forgot to fight'

Germany’s flawless World Cup penalty record is over, and so is their tournament. Julian Nagelsmann’s side were beaten 4-3 on penalties by Paraguay in Boston on Thursday, ending a run of four consecutive shootout victories stretching back decades and marking their first knockout exit since the group stage in Russia 2018.

The defeat was compounded by a VAR controversy in extra time, when Jonathan Tah’s header was ruled out following a review — a decision that would have put Germany through in normal time. Instead, the shootout delivered a historic upset, with Paraguay advancing to the last 16 as a best-placed third-place team who had been thrashed 4-1 by the USA in their opening group game.

Former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger, capped 52 times between 2004 and 2010, delivered a blunt verdict on the performance. “Fundamentally, there’s something missing — the way they approach games,” he said. “We need that grit and desire to be hard to beat. For too long in Germany, we try to educate players to pass the ball really well. It worked in 2014. After that, we kept passing the ball nicely, but we forgot to fight very hard against the ball.”

Hitzlsperger also questioned Nagelsmann’s tactical flexibility, arguing the head coach “did not have a plan B.” “Unless you are as good as Pep [Guardiola], you have to add different elements,” he said. “We focus on passing — looks nice at times — but if that way doesn’t work, you have to have a plan B or C. We don’t seem to be good enough using one.”

The defeat extends a bleak post-2014 record for the national team. Germany have not won a knockout match at a major tournament since lifting the World Cup in Brazil, with their best subsequent showing being a run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

Paraguay, meanwhile, will face either France or Sweden in the last-16 on Saturday — a remarkable turnaround for a side that looked destined for an early exit after that heavy opening defeat to the hosts.