The four players who reportedly declined to take penalties during Germany’s World Cup Round of 32 exit against Paraguay in Boston on Monday have now been revealed.
Germany were eliminated after a 1-1 draw ended in a penalty shootout defeat, marking a painful end to their campaign in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
German football journalist Marion Horn criticised Die Mannschaft, describing the World Cup exit as a “disaster.” The defeat came after Germany had won six consecutive penalty shootouts at major tournaments, including two against England, and had not lost one since the 1976 European Championship final against Czechoslovakia, when Antonín Panenka produced the famous chipped penalty that became part of football history.
“It was a disaster and devastating. The brutal World Cup defeat against Paraguay, the coach, the attitude, and the performance of the German players are symptomatic of the state of the entire country,” Horn said.
According to reports, Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, and Malick Thiaw were all hesitant to take the sixth penalty, with Goretzka’s decision considered the most surprising.
Goretzka, who has represented Germany 72 times, was reportedly asked twice by captain and club teammate Joshua Kimmich to step up, but declined. That left Jonathan Tah to take responsibility, but the defender blasted his effort over the bar.
According to Bild, Tah had never taken a penalty at a professional level before and only stepped forward after four teammates showed reluctance.
Germany’s early exit triggered harsh headlines and angry reactions across some of the country’s leading media outlets.
Bild’s front-page headline described the result as “The next German football nightmare,” while columnist Marion Horn also criticised how German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reacted to the defeat.