Ilkay Gundogan Critiques VAR Decision After Germany's World Cup Exit

Ilkay Gundogan has voiced his frustration over a controversial VAR decision that led to Germany's exit from the FIFA World Cup after a penalty shootout loss to Paraguay. The former Manchester City star criticized the team's performance and the decision that disallowed a crucial goal. This defeat marks another chapter in Germany's struggles since their 2014 World Cup victory, as they face ongoing challenges in major tournaments. The match is noted as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, given the significant rankings disparity between the two teams. Read on for more insights into this shocking outcome.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 30, 2026, 14:20 IST

Germany's Disappointing Exit from the FIFA World Cup

Following Germany's defeat to Paraguay in the round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup, Ilkay Gundogan, a former star for Germany and Manchester City, expressed his frustration over a contentious VAR ruling that nullified a potential winning goal for his team. He also conveyed his dissatisfaction with the overall performance of the squad.

With the score tied at 1-1 as the match entered extra time, Germany believed they had clinched a spot in the Round of 16 when defender Tah scored from a corner in the 101st minute. However, after a VAR review, referee Jalal Jayed disallowed the goal, citing that Waldemar Anton had obstructed Paraguay's goalkeeper, Orlando Gill, during the play. The match proceeded to penalties, where Paraguay triumphed 5-3, marking another disappointing chapter for the four-time champions since their 2014 World Cup victory.

Gundogan's Reaction to the VAR Decision

On his social media platform X, Gundogan remarked, "The team's performance today certainly doesn't require any embellishment... But what was that VAR decision? In the Premier League, such a call would be met with a weary smile, especially when reversing a decision. It was incredibly disappointing. Unfortunately, we couldn't convince ourselves over the course of 120 minutes... #GERPAR #FIFAWorldCup."

Die heutige Team Leistung braucht man definitiv nicht schönreden... Aber was war das bitte für eine VAR Entscheidung? In der Premier League würde man darüber nur müde lächeln - vor allem eine Entscheidung zurückzunehmen. Natürlich aber auch so brutal enttäuschend. Leider hat man… — Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) June 29, 2026

Germany's Ongoing Struggles in Tournaments

This defeat marked only Germany's second loss in a penalty shootout at a major international tournament, the first being against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final (5-3), according to statistics from OptaJoe.

Since their triumph in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Germany has faced two consecutive group stage exits in 2018 and 2022, along with a round of 32 exit in the current tournament.

A Significant Upset in World Cup History

This result is considered one of the most significant upsets in World Cup knockout history. Germany entered the tournament ranked 10th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Paraguay was ranked 41st, creating a disparity of 31 places.

Since 1994, only three World Cup knockout eliminations have shown a larger rankings gap: Spain's loss to Russia in 2018 (60 places), Italy's defeat to South Korea in 2002 (34 places), and Spain's quarter-final exit to South Korea in 2002 (32 places).