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

Ilkay Gundogan has expressed 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 match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, saw a disallowed goal for Germany due to an alleged foul on the goalkeeper. Gundogan's comments highlight the team's disappointing performance and the historical significance of this defeat, marking a troubling trend for the four-time champions in recent tournaments. Discover more about this shocking upset and its implications for Germany's football future.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 30, 2026, 23:52 IST

Germany's Disappointing World Cup Performance

After Germany's defeat to Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup round of 32, Ilkay Gundogan, a former star for both Germany and Manchester City, voiced his concerns regarding a contentious VAR ruling that negated a potential winning goal for his team. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the overall performance of the squad.

The match was tied at 1-1 as it moved into extra time, and Germany believed they had clinched a spot in the Round of 16 when Tah scored from a corner in the 101st minute.

However, following a VAR review, referee Jalal Jayed ruled the goal out, citing that Germany's Waldemar Anton had obstructed Paraguay's goalkeeper, Orlando Gill, during the play.

The game proceeded to penalties, where Paraguay triumphed 5-3, marking yet another disappointing chapter for the four-time champions since their 2014 World Cup victory.

On his social media, Gundogan remarked, "Today's team performance certainly doesn't require any embellishment... But what was that VAR decision? In the Premier League, they would just shrug off something like that—especially reversing a decision. It was incredibly disappointing. Unfortunately, we couldn't convince over 120 minutes ourselves... #GERPAR #FIFAWorldCup."

Historical Context of Germany's Penalty Defeat

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

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

The outcome is also 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 positioned at 41st, creating a disparity of 31 places.

Since 1994, only three World Cup knockout eliminations have shown a greater 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 the same year (32 places).