Germany, out in the round of 32: the World Cup's big disappointment
One of the big favourites left early. Germany fell in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup to Paraguay, on penalties, in one of the loudest disappointments of a tournament that never clicked for them.
Few imagined Germany out of the 2026 World Cup so soon. Die Mannschaft, always among the favourites by history and by squad, bowed out in the round of 32 to Paraguay, unable to break open a match that dragged on and was eventually settled on penalties (1-1, 4-3).
The exit left a sense of opportunity lost. With quality players like Deniz Undav —one of their most productive men at the tournament— Germany never found the necessary fluency and ran into an organised, tenacious Paraguay who dragged the game onto their own terms.
For a nation used to fighting for the title, falling at the first knockout hurdle is a hard blow to swallow and reopens, once again, the debate about the state of German football. It was, without doubt, one of the big disappointments of a World Cup that punished several European giants harshly.
While Germany packed their bags, Paraguay kept dreaming into the last 16. Upsets are part of the charm of a single-tie tournament, and Die Mannschaft's was among the loudest. Check the knockout bracket and the shootouts on our site.