Germany suffer first-ever World Cup penalty shootout defeat as Paraguay stun Die Mannschaft

Germany’s legendary World Cup penalty record ended in Foxborough on Monday as Julian Nagelsmann’s side were eliminated in the round of 32, losing 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay at Boston Stadium — the first shootout defeat in the nation’s World Cup history.

Die Mannschaft had been forced to come from behind after falling to a first-half deficit, with Kai Havertz drawing them level before Jonathan Tah appeared to snatch a winner in extra time. A VAR review, however, ruled out the Bayern Munich defender’s effort, adjudging Waldemar Anton to have fouled Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the build-up.

The shootout that followed proved equally cruel. Havertz and Woltemade both missed before Tah, the man whose goal had been taken away, stepped up in sudden death and saw his kick fail to find the net — sealing one of the most dramatic German exits in recent memory.

The defeat is not only Germany’s first in a World Cup penalty shootout but only their second in a major tournament overall. Their previous shootout loss came in the 1976 European Championship final, a game that passed into football folklore when Antonin Panenka chipped goalkeeper Sepp Maier with the audacious chip that would go on to bear his name.

Prior to Monday’s result, Germany had won all four of their World Cup penalty shootouts, missing just one of 18 spot-kicks across those ties — a record so formidable it inspired Gary Lineker’s oft-quoted observation that ‘football is a simple game where 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win’. That particular piece of received wisdom will need updating.