Germany’s World Cup campaign ended in a stunning last-32 exit, with head coach Julian Nagelsmann unleashing a furious tirade against VAR after a controversial disallowed goal proved pivotal in their penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay.

The four-time champions, considered one of the tournament favorites, were eliminated after a 1-1 draw following extra time, with Paraguay ultimately prevailing 4-3 in the shootout. The decisive moment of contention came in extra time when Jonathan Tah appeared to score a go-ahead goal for Germany, only for VAR to intervene. The video assistant referee determined that Waldemar Anton had fouled Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the build-up, nullifying the effort and sparking Nagelsmann’s ire.

VAR decision ignites Nagelsmann’s fury

Speaking to ZDF, cited by GOAL, in a fiery post-match interview, Nagelsmann did not mince words regarding the decision.

“We then score a goal from the latter which is a scandal as the referee blows his whistle to disallow it. I have no idea what he saw there. It’s truly a joke,” Nagelsmann stated, his frustration palpable. His anger only intensified when shown a replay of the incident during the interview.

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“I’m seeing it again right now. It’s not just a scandal, it’s an absolute scandal. That is not even remotely a foul play,” he added, vehemently rejecting the referee’s interpretation of the contact.

The early exit piles significant pressure on Nagelsmann, whose side had opened their tournament with a commanding 7-1 victory over Curacao, suggesting a strong run was possible. However, their performance against Paraguay was far from convincing, a point Nagelsmann himself conceded.

Beyond the VAR controversy, the German coach also expressed broader dissatisfaction with his team’s tactical approach during the match. When pressed repeatedly about Germany’s decline and shortcomings, Nagelsmann grew visibly irritated, lamenting a lack of urgency in their play.

“Yes, as I already said, our build-up play today was simply too slow. Yes, I just told you. The build-up play was too slow. I’ve already said that three times now,” he responded, highlighting a deeper tactical issue that contributed to their inability to break down Paraguay before the dramatic extra-time events.

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Ultimately, despite Nagelsmann’s impassioned protests, the result stands, marking an unexpected and premature end to Germany’s World Cup journey and leaving plenty of questions for the coach to answer.

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