For a third straight time, Germany is out of the FIFA World Cup earlier than expected. What went wrong this time?
Key takeaways
- Germany are out of the World Cup earlier than expected for the third straight time.
- "Yes, it seems so for sure," Havertz said after the loss, when asked if Germany had become a second-tier team.
- It was Germany's first ever loss on penalties at a World Cup.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Germany are out of the World Cup earlier than expected for the third straight time. How did this happen?
https://p.dw.com/p/5GI95Germany's players look disappointed after the loss on penalties to Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup Image: Uwe Kraft/IMAGOAdvertisement What happened? For the third straight World Cup, Germany have not made it to the round of 16. They lost 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, after the game finished 1-1 following extra time. Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah missed penalties in the shootout, and even Manuel Neuer's heroics weren't enough to save Germany this time.
"Yes, it seems so for sure," Havertz said after the loss, when asked if Germany had become a second-tier team.