Germany eliminated – Germany are eliminated from the World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Paraguay that was decided in a wild penalty shootout. Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade both miss crucial spot-kicks as Jose Canale strikes in the shootout to send Paraguay into the last-16.
Germany’s World Cup ended in the most painful way possible: not with a collapse from open play. but with the sound of penalties going wrong. By the time Jose Canale found the net at the end of a wild penalty shootout. there was no mistaking what it meant for Julian Nagelsmann—Germany were OUT. and the only real question left in the aftermath was how long his post would survive.
The match had given very little to celebrate. It finished 1-1 after a game that swung between Germany’s possession and Paraguay’s determination to survive and strike back. But it was the shootout that turned the evening into shock-of-the-tournament theatre. the kind that makes a powerhouse nation feel suddenly powerless.
Germany thought the end was coming smoothly. Orlando Gill’s saves from Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade had initially suggested the shootout could become a routine march. Then the momentum snapped the other way. Antonio Sanabria and Fabián Balbuena both botched what might have been match-clinching penalties, leaving the contest alive.
When Jonathan Tah blazed over. Jose Canale launched into the roof of the net—and Paraguay were suddenly celebrating while Germany were left staring at the consequences of missed moments. Arsenal star Havertz stepped up first in Boston in the shootout, but his penalty was saved. Nick Woltemade also missed a decisive penalty, and that is where Germany’s campaign effectively ended.
The sting is that this Paraguay side have not been anything like the tournament favorites. Gustavo Alfaro’s team opened their campaign with a smash at the hands of the United States. and yet they found a way to escape group D in a lucky loser spot. From there. the turnaround became something bigger than luck—this was the kind of performance that feels tailor-made for the World Cup’s unpredictable edge.
Everything now changes for the tournament picture. The winner of France and Sweden will not be Germany’s next opponent; that assignment falls to Paraguay, who book their place in the last-16.
For Germany, the exit lands on a manager already under pressure. Nagelsmann had been criticized after a loss against Ecuador, and before this match he attempted to brush off scrutiny with words that landed like a warning: “If you win, everything is perfect, and if you lose, everything is s***.”
On the pitch, there was no subtlety to the defeat. Germany were described as having all the ball and no clue, unable to attack and showing incompetence when defending. The stark contrast was in Paraguay’s willingness to chase—spending 75 per cent of the game on the chase while Germany. despite their control. could not turn possession into consistent threat.
There was also a decision that looked brave on paper but heavy in its cost. Nagelsmann dropped Jamal Musiala for Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav. Musiala had been the pulse of Germany’s attacking line at Euro 2024, so the move carried real weight. Yet after the change. the “gallery” was ignored—Manuel Neuer retained his spot. as did Florian Wirtz. and Joshua Kimmich stayed at right back despite the notion that Bayern Munich and much of Germany see him primarily as a midfielder.
In the first half. Germany carried around 80 per cent of possession but lacked meaningful shots and the wit to use it. Paraguay were content to sit deep and punch on the counter, and Germany could not change gear. Wirtz, playing on the left in what effectively became a 4-4-2, was described as a passenger. Undav was isolated, registering only seven touches in the opening 45 minutes.
The bigger worry was work rate and desire. Kimmich had flagged that as an issue after the Ecuador defeat. and similar concerns appeared again when Paraguay scored the 1-0 strike. The early warning signs in attack were sharp: Juan Jose Caceres fought hardest to win a loose ball. and then Enciso met Matias Galarza’s cross with ease. Antonio Rudiger and Jonathan Tah had their eyes on Enciso as he entered the area and did nothing. The frustration followed into the attacking structure too—Germany’s problems were not just tactical, they were practical.
Nagelsmann responded at the break with the introduction of Leon Goretzka. But the sharper impact came in the urgency of Germany’s second-half play. Paraguay continued to sit back, which helped Germany find openings, and the game tilted. Wirtz and Leroy Sane were suddenly more involved, and Germany looked to the wings.
Then came the response that briefly made the night feel salvageable. It was from a Wirtz inswinger that Germany pulled level, with Kai Havertz powering the header to make it 1-1. A superb goal and an immense relief—for a time. Germany even gained momentum later. with Nagelsmann reversing his pre-match decision by hooking Undav for Musiala after the second hydration break.
The second half brought more of Wirtz’s influence, including swagger and a devilish edge, and there was another brilliant cross for Havertz—this one wasted by the header. Still, there was no breakthrough within 90 minutes. The game went to extra time, and the tension only sharpened.
In extra time, Nick Woltemade appealed for a penalty unsuccessfully after an apparent handball by Gustavo Gomez. At the back post, Jonathan Tah then headed in following a Nathaniel Brown corner, and the VAR decision mattered. The view that Waldemar Anton had fouled the goalkeeper was upheld, and so penalties were confirmed as the inevitable destination.
So the final images were the ones Germany could not afford: Havertz and Woltemade missing crucial penalties as Jose Canale sent Paraguay into the last-16. For a team that carried expectations of a powerful tournament run. it ended in the cruel simplicity of spot-kicks—one more moment where the pressure did not forgive.
Germany Paraguay World Cup penalty shootout Kai Havertz Nick Woltemade Jose Canale Julian Nagelsmann Orlando Gill Jamal Musiala Deniz Undav