Germany’s 2026 FIFA World Cup run ended before the round of 16, and the circumstances of its round-of-32 defeat to Paraguay are likely to fuel debate among fans and pundits.
Late in the first half of extra time, defender Jonathan Tah appeared to put Germany in front with a headed goal from a corner kick. The strike would have made it 2-1, but after a VAR review, officials ruled that German defender Waldemar Anton had fouled Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, wiping the goal off the board.
Germany Goal DISALLOWED Following VAR Review After CONTROVERSIAL Foul on Paraguay Goalkeeper
Germany eventually fell in a penalty shootout, a result that will be remembered as one of the more stunning upsets in men’s World Cup history. Before the match reached its conclusion, however, one former goalkeeper made clear he believed Germany had been hard done by.
“I don’t think it’s a foul,” former Denmark and Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel said on FOX’s “World Cup Live” in between the extra time periods. “I actually don’t think Anton did anything. He’s just there. The goalkeeper runs straight into him, and I think they got that wrong.”
Schmeichel’s view was not shared by everyone in the studio. Former Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel said Anton’s position interfered with the goalkeeper, arguing that the defender was not making a play on the ball and had effectively blocked Gill’s path.
“I think it’s a foul,” Mikel said. “For me, when he impeded the goalkeeper, you can see the goalkeeper has his eyes on the ball. He has his eyes on the ball all the way through and the player’s just standing there. He’s not thinking about the ball. He’s not looking at the ball. And that’s exactly what happened. To me, it looks a bit soft. But I think the referee has made the right decision.”
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Former United States forward Clint Dempsey then weighed in, siding with Schmeichel in the panel’s disagreement.
“When you’ve got a goalkeeper who is a part of the goalkeeper union who says it’s not a foul, then it’s not a foul,” Dempsey said.
The disallowed goal ultimately kept the game level, and Germany never had as good of a chance to take the lead as it did at that moment. It wound up losing in penalty kicks, 4-3, with Tah missing a penalty kick in the final round before Paraguay’s José Canale scored, continuing a rough streak for Germany in recent World Cups.
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