Nagelsmann Defies Pressure After Germany's World Cup Exit
Germany's coach Julian Nagelsmann refused to resign after the team's shock penalty loss to Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32, insisting he remains committed to leading the national team forward.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann of the German national team has refused to step down despite leading the "Iron Eagle" to a disappointing exit at the Round of 32 stage of the 2026 World Cup. Germany, one of the tournament favorites, ended its campaign in the Round of 32 after losing 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay following a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time on June 29.
After the match, Nagelsmann addressed his future, saying: "I'm not someone who runs away. I'm always ready if the German national team wants me. If they want me to stay until 2028, I will." He added: "If they don't want me, they need to tell me directly. I want to continue. In football, you can't control everything."
Kai Havertz, who missed a penalty, commented: "During a match, you have to give full effort. I don't think we played poorly—I think we played well. But there's always something missing, and I felt that today too. Now, especially as players, we need to look at ourselves and what we can do better, because we're all professional footballers."
