Ilkay Gundogan, former Germany and Manchester City midfielder, expressed outrage over a controversial VAR decision that denied Germany a winning goal in extra time against Paraguay, resulting in a 5-3 penalty shootout defeat in the FIFA World Cup round of 32. The match, held on June 29, 2026, saw Germany eliminated early in the tournament, continuing their struggles since winning the World Cup in 2014.
Match Summary and Controversial VAR Call
The score was tied 1-1 after regular time. In the 101st minute of extra time, Germany defender Jonathan Tah headed in from a corner, seemingly securing a place in the round of 16. However, referee Jalal Jayed, after a VAR review, disallowed the goal, ruling that Germany defender Waldemar Anton had impeded Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill during the buildup. The decision sparked immediate backlash from players and fans.
With no further goals, the match proceeded to penalties, where Paraguay triumphed 5-3. This marked only Germany's second penalty shootout loss at a major international tournament, the first being against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final (5-3), according to OptaJoe.
Gundogan's Reaction
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Gundogan posted: "Today's team performance definitely doesn't need any sugarcoating... But what the hell was that VAR decision? In the Premier League, they'd just give a weary smile over something like that - especially taking back a decision. Of course, it was brutally disappointing too. Unfortunately, we failed to convince over 120 minutes ourselves... #GERPAR #FIFAWorldCup." His post, written partly in German, reflected his frustration with both the officiating and the team's overall performance.
Historical Context and Impact
Germany's exit in the round of 32 follows back-to-back group stage eliminations in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. This result ranks among the biggest knockout upsets in modern World Cup history. Germany entered the tournament ranked 10th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Paraguay was 41st—a gap of 31 places. Since 1994, only three World Cup knockout upsets have featured a larger rankings disparity: Spain's defeat to Russia in 2018 (60 places), Italy's loss to South Korea in 2002 (34 places), and Spain's quarter-final exit to South Korea in 2002 (32 places).
The defeat underscores Germany's ongoing struggles in major tournaments since their 2014 World Cup triumph, raising questions about the team's direction and the effectiveness of VAR in high-stakes matches.
