Newcastle United forward Nick Woltemade has admitted he must 'live with the consequences' after his missed penalty contributed to Germany's shock World Cup exit at the hands of Paraguay. The 24-year-old, who made his tournament debut as a substitute in the 88th minute, saw his tame spot-kick saved by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the shootout, handing the Albirroja a 4-3 victory.
World Cup Upset in Boston
Germany entered the match as heavy favourites against Paraguay in their round of 32 clash at the home of the New England Patriots. However, it was the South Americans who struck first through Strasbourg's Julio Enciso. Arsenal's Kai Havertz headed Germany level, forcing extra time and eventually penalties. Julian Nagelsmann turned to Woltemade in the dying minutes of regulation time in search of a winner, but the Newcastle man could not break the deadlock.
Woltemade had been an unused substitute in all three of Germany's group games before being handed his World Cup debut. He assumed the 'responsibility' of taking a penalty in the shootout, but his effort was easily saved, sealing Germany's earliest exit from a major tournament in years.
Emotional Social Media Responses
Taking to Instagram, Woltemade expressed his devastation. 'Honestly... The fact that my first World Cup is ending like this hits me hard,' he wrote. 'We have not lived up to our demands and expectations. Now we have to honestly analyse why it didn't work. I wanted to take responsibility and I took responsibility. But at the same time, that means having to live with the consequences - even if it hurts. Thank you for your many uplifting words. This means a lot to me! Together we will rise again!'
Newcastle teammate Malick Thiaw, who also came off the bench in extra time for his second appearance of the tournament, shared a similar sentiment. 'It's hard to find the right words,' Thiaw posted on Instagram. 'We are all incredibly disappointed. We came here with big dreams and high expectations, and it hurts to see our World Cup journey end like this. It was a great honour to make my World Cup debut and represent Germany on the biggest stage of football. I will always be thankful for that.'
Backlash and Reflection
The defeat has sparked an angry backlash in Germany, with the team failing to meet expectations. Thiaw acknowledged the disappointment of fans, saying, 'We know that we have disappointed many people and it is hard to accept. We share your disappointment because wearing this jersey means great responsibility and pride. Thank you for sticking with us.'
Both players will now have around three weeks off before returning to Newcastle for pre-season ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
