Nagelsmann snaps at reporter and admits Germany 'not first-class' after World Cup penalty exit

Julian Nagelsmann clashed with a female reporter at his post-match press conference after Germany were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by Paraguay on penalties, then delivered a blunt verdict on his own team: they are “just not a first-class football team.”

The four-time world champions fell 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the last 32, marking the first time Germany had ever lost a World Cup penalty shootout. A disallowed German goal during the match drew fury from supporters, and the defeat extended a grim run that stretches back to their 2014 triumph — Germany have not won a single knockout match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy that year.

After an extended period in the dressing room with his squad, Nagelsmann faced the media. The press conference turned tense when a reporter repeatedly pressed him on Germany’s slow build-up play. Nagelsmann initially acknowledged the problem — “We had a very slow build-up play; it took ages to shift it from wing to wing” — but visibly lost patience when the same question came again. “Yes, I just told you,” he snapped. “The build-up play was too slow. I’ve already said that three times now.”

When asked about his future, Nagelsmann was defiant. His contract runs until after Euro 2028, and he made clear he has no intention of walking away. “I am available,” he said. “If the DFB wants it, then I will do the Euro 2028, and if not then they have to tell me. I’m not someone who runs away.”

His self-assessment of the team, however, was far less assured. “If you cannot beat Paraguay over 120 minutes then you are deservedly eliminated,” Nagelsmann said. “You should not depend on the opponents’ luck or no luck.” He went further still: “If you are eliminated by Paraguay you are just not a first-class football team. I am very disappointed.”

At 38, Nagelsmann became the youngest manager to take charge of a side in a World Cup knockout stage in 40 years, yet the early exit has intensified calls for a change. Jürgen Klopp, currently working as a World Cup analyst for German broadcaster Magenta TV, has been publicly linked with the national team role. Germany’s departure in the last 32 represents a sharp fall from the era between 2002 and 2014, when the country reached at least the semi-finals in four consecutive tournaments.