Julian Nagelsmann has declared he will not resign as Germany head coach following the team's World Cup last-32 elimination by Paraguay in a penalty shootout. 'I am not someone who runs away,' Nagelsmann stated after the match. 'This is not the first time this has happened, and there are some things about today that need to be changed. But if the DFB wants me to continue I am going to continue. I know the mechanics of football, I know how the industry works. I know a lot of people will want me to leave but I would love to continue if the football association wants me to.'
Germany's Early Exit in Boston
Germany arrived in Boston on the back of a group-stage defeat to Ecuador, facing a Paraguay side that finished third in Group D behind the United States and Australia. Nagelsmann, speaking almost four hours after kick-off at Boston Stadium, revealed he had already spoken with German FA officials. 'They have talked to me gently, they comforted me, they're not going to offer me an extension of my contract two minutes after I lost this match. They are not going to talk just after the defeat,' he said.
This marked Nagelsmann's second tournament in three years as Germany manager, with a combined total of just one knockout round victory—against Denmark at the home European Championship. Reflecting on the loss, he admitted: 'If we did a survey today in Germany people would not speak positively about me today. But in football you win some and you lose some, it's always been that way, we haven't really done much in this tournament to make people celebrate, but I have a lot of confidence that we could have done a better job.'
Paraguay Celebrates Historic Victory
Paraguay's triumph sparked celebrations, with President Santiago Peña declaring Tuesday a national holiday. Paraguayan journalists cheered as the winning penalty was converted, securing passage to the last 16. Head coach Gustavo Alfaro praised his '26 warriors' in the press conference, emphasizing football's role as 'a source of happiness, power and collectivism for people of the red earth.'
Paraguay will next face either France or Sweden on 4 July in Philadelphia—a fitting Independence Day match at the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence. The victory marked Germany's first World Cup shootout defeat, with heroes including goalkeeper Antony Silva and penalty-taker Miguel Almirón sealing the historic result.
Nagelsmann's Future Uncertain
Nagelsmann acknowledged the public sentiment in Germany but remained defiant. 'I don't think that everyone in Germany will agree with me staying on as manager of the Mannschaft. It was very difficult because they were ultra-defensive. We didn't give enough. When you exit the World Cup after you play Paraguay then it is very bitter. If you do not score many goals then it is not enough. It is very hurtful,' he said.
The DFB has yet to comment on Nagelsmann's future, but the coach's determination to stay suggests a potential rebuild ahead of future tournaments. For now, Germany faces an early return home, while Paraguay revels in a landmark achievement on the global stage.
