Germany's near-mythical status as penalty kings of the World Cup came crashing down on Monday evening when Julian Nagelsmann's side were eliminated in the round of 32 by Paraguay, losing 4-3 on penalties at Foxborough's Boston Stadium.

The defeat ended one of international football's most storied records. Germany had never previously lost a World Cup shootout, converting 17 of 18 spot-kicks across four separate knockout rounds and building an aura of invincibility that Gary Lineker once immortalised: "Football is a simple game where 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."

How the night unfolded

Die Mannschaft entered the contest needing to overturn a first-half deficit, and Kai Havertz drew them level before Jonathan Tah appeared to have sealed extra-time glory with what looked like a winner. A VAR review, however, ruled the effort out — Waldemar Anton was adjudged to have fouled Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the build-up, leaving the tie unresolved heading into the shootout.

When the kicks were taken, neither Havertz nor Woltemade could find the net with their efforts, and Tah — the Bayern Munich defender whose disallowed goal had seemed so decisive — stepped up during sudden death and missed the kick that confirmed Germany's historic exit.

Only the second major-tournament shootout loss

Remarkably, this defeat was not only Germany's first World Cup penalty loss but also only their second shootout defeat in any major tournament. The only previous occasion came at the 1976 European Championship final, a match that lives on in football history for an entirely different reason: Antonin Panenka's audacious chipped kick gave what is now the Czech Republic victory over goalkeeper Sepp Maier, and in doing so gave the football world the Panenka technique that still bears his name.

Monday's result means that, after half a century, Germany's reputation as the game's ultimate penalty specialists has finally — and comprehensively — been dismantled.