Germany's campaign at FIFA World Cup 2026 is over after a stunning knockout-stage defeat to Paraguay — a result that has sent shockwaves through European football and raised urgent questions about the future of manager Julian Nagelsmann.

A record broken in the worst way

Germany, winners of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, had not won a single knockout match at any World Cup since lifting that trophy twelve years ago. Yet heading into their last-16 clash with Paraguay, they carried one enviable record: they had never lost a World Cup penalty shootout — until now.

Paraguay held their nerve to eliminate Germany on penalties, completing what many are calling the biggest shock of the knockout rounds so far at this tournament.

What went wrong for Germany

German football expert Constantin Eckner and BBC tactics correspondent Umir Irfan joined host Mani Djazmi on More than the Score to break down how Nagelsmann's side came unstuck. The analysis pointed to a combination of tactical vulnerabilities and a Paraguay side superbly organised by coach Gustavo Alfaro, who masterminded a disciplined and gutsy performance that overwhelmed a Germany team unable to replicate the clinical edge that defined their 2014 triumph.

Alfaro's men executed their game plan with remarkable precision, frustrating Germany's attacking patterns and capitalising when it mattered most. Jubilant Paraguay fans celebrated what stands as one of the great upsets in recent World Cup history.

Nagelsmann's future under the spotlight

Germany's exit reignites debate over the direction of the national team under Nagelsmann. Having failed to win a knockout game at three consecutive World Cups — and now suffering their first-ever penalty-shootout defeat in the competition — pressure on the German Football Association to reassess its leadership will only intensify in the coming days.

Paraguay's victory, meanwhile, marks a historic moment for South American football and sends Alfaro's side into the next round on the crest of a wave, backed by a nation celebrating one of its finest hours on the global stage.