Germany went into the match as massive favorites over a relatively small football nation of Paraguay. Despite Germany’s historic success and their first trip to the knockout stage since 2014, Die Mannschaft would fall short once again in ugly fashion in a penalty shootout to the South American side.
Jersey Swap: Referees
An absolute joke off a foul overuled a goal for Germany that would have surely sealed the deal for Germany to book their Round of 16 ticket. Not to mention the VAR overturn, there was a clear missed handball as well as Manuel Neuer’s brilliant through ball to Kai Havertz that was blown down for seemingly no reason.
Der Kaiser: Joshua Kimmich
In a match where almost all fans were calling for Kimmich to be moved into midfield, the Bayern Munich veteran finally put in a good performance at right-back. While Malick Thiaw would have been a great option to start in this position, Kimmich was highly effective in this role.
Der Fußballgott: Jamal Musiala
While Jamal Musiala in 2026 is a far cry from the version we saw in 2022 or 2024 tournaments, he provided some much needed energy in an attack that was simply ineffective. Despite all the possession, no one was able to create, although Musiala did inject some life when he came on the pitch.
Der Bomber: Kai Havertz
While Kai Havertz will receive the honors today, he did not do much outside of his goal which provided Germany with a lifeline before heading to added time. Considering the amount of minutes the Arsenal forward played in this game, a lot more would be expected from the Champions League finalist.
Meister of the Match: Florian Wirtz
Nobody truly stood out. However, it feels harsh to not give out of MOTM in back-to-back matches so this will be given to the Liverpool lad. No player really cemented their dominance in this match which way too relied on crosses, which simply were not effective against Paraguay’s defence.
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