Germany suffered a stunning 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the World Cup round of 32 in Boston, prompting Alan Shearer to heavily criticize Florian Wirtz for his lack of contribution. The Liverpool star, who cost £116 million, registered an assist but failed to influence the game in crucial moments.
Match Details and Key Moments
Paraguay, ranked 41st in FIFA's world rankings, took the lead through Julio Enciso in the first half. Arsenal's Kai Havertz equalized for Germany, glancing home from Wirtz's delivery. Jonathan Tah thought he had scored the winner, but his goal was controversially ruled out after VAR adjudged goalkeeper Orlando Gill to have been fouled.
In the penalty shootout, Havertz and Newcastle forward Nick Woltemade both saw their spot kicks saved by Gill. Paraguay missed two chances to win through Antonio Sanabria and Fabian Balbuena, but Tah blazed over, allowing Jose Canale to seal a memorable 4-3 victory for Paraguay.
Shearer's Criticism of Wirtz
Speaking on Netflix show The Rest is Football, Shearer singled out Wirtz among underperformers. "They've got the quality in names and on paper, but they just didn't deliver," Shearer said. "You look at [Leroy] Sane, not a great season. [Denis] Undav they had to bring in to try and give them some oomph. Wirtz has had a terrible season at Liverpool, he hasn't performed again at this World Cup."
When Micah Richards argued that Wirtz's transfer fee proves his quality, Shearer interjected: "What's he done this season?" Richards countered: "He's a superstar. We've not seen the best of him, but we can't say he's not a good player."
Historic Defeat and Nagelsmann's Future
This marks the first time Germany have lost a World Cup penalty shootout and their first defeat from the spot at international level since 1976. Despite an opening 7-1 demolition of Curacao, followed by a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast and a 2-1 loss to Ecuador, Germany exited in the round of 32 for the third consecutive tournament.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann insisted he would not resign. "When you exit the World Cup after you play Paraguay it is very bitter," he said. "I'm not going to step back only because we are eliminated. If the DFB want me to continue, I am going to continue."
Former Germany internationals Thomas Hitzlsperger and Arne Friedrich both argued Nagelsmann should face consequences. Hitzlsperger said: "It's hard to explain how Germany got into this tournament with so many problems. It doesn't look good for Nagelsmann." Friedrich added: "I would definitely say the journey continues without Nagelsmann."
