Germany are officially out of the 2026 World Cup following a historic Round of 32 elimination against Paraguay. The defeat marks a devastating blow and continues a string of tournament failures for Germany since 2018. In the wake of the loss, head coach Julian Nagelsmann clarified his position regarding his future.
Following the defeat, which also had Kai Havertz speechless, Nagelsmann made it clear that he remains willing to continue as coach, demonstrating that he still wants to stay involved with the national team, despite names are circulating for the job, like Jurgen Klopp.
“I’m available. If the DFB want me to stay until 2028, I will. If they don’t, then I’ll go,” Nagelsmann said. “I’m not someone who runs away. I’m available if that’s what the DFB wants. If they don’t want me, they need to tell me. I want to continue. In football, you don’t have complete control. If the DFB wants me to, I’d be happy to prepare for the Euros and the Nations League. If they don’t want me to, they need to say it.”
Nagelsmann faces mounting criticism
Much of the criticism Nagelsmann has received during his time at the helm of the German national team centers on his insistence with certain decisions. Forcing systems and players that are not working has led to Germany playing like a group of individuals rather than a cohesive team.
Joshua Kimmich #6 of Germany at Boston Stadium.
The first half against Paraguay was a perfect example of how Nagelsmann’s setup has been functioning. Germany held nearly 80% possession but recorded no shots on goal, whereas Paraguay needed just 20% possession to score a goal. They remained stuck in that exact situation for almost the entire match, until they finally realized that crossing the ball to the far post was what caused damage.
The halftime adjustments made a difference, but some questionable officiating resulted in Jonathan Tah’s apparent winner being canceled by VAR. Regardless of the external factors, Germany very much could have finished the game much earlier had they not dawdled when they held the advantage against a tired Paraguay side.
Penalties are always tricky in any matchup, but a team ranked No. 10 in the FIFA rankings getting eliminated by a No. 41-ranked side necessitates some major changes for the former. It wasn’t the ending Manuel Neuer was hoping to have for his international career.
