Controversial VAR Eliminates Germany
Germany Eliminated by Paraguay in World Cup After Controversial VAR Overturns Late Goal
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Key Points
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The Athletic’s Graham Scott argued that Waldemar Anton’s contact on Orlando Gill was not clear evidence of a block affecting the keeper, suggesting the VAR overturn of Tah’s goal was not warranted and that the case for guilt was thin.
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Jan Aage Fjørtoft labeled Gill’s movement a dive, a view echoed by The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie, highlighting dissent over the keeper's influence and the legitimacy of the foul on the frame.
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BBC coverage featured Alan Shearer calling the VAR ruling pathetic and Darren Cann describing it as lenient, underscoring a broader media critique of the decision.
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Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro was shown a yellow card for protesting the decision, illustrating the on-pitch tensions and heated officiating debates surrounding the match.
Germany's 2026 World Cup run ended in heartbreak on June 29 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, as Paraguay eliminated the four-time world champions 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. The match's defining moment came in the 103rd minute, when Jonathan Tah's towering header was wiped out by a VAR review that ruled Waldemar Anton had fouled Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill — a call that sent German players into a fury and sparked one of the tournament's loudest officiating controversies ABC News.
The penalty shootout — the first of the 2026 World Cup — saw Tah, Kai Havertz, and Nick Woltemade all miss, while José Canale slotted home the winner for Paraguay The Guardian. It was Germany's first-ever World Cup exit on penalties, ending a perfect record of four shootout victories stretching back decades.
The Disallowed Goal That Changed Everything
With the match locked at 1–1 deep into extra time, Tah rose to meet a corner and headed home what seemed to be Germany's winner. Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed was called to the VAR monitor. He overturned the goal, ruling that Anton had blocked Gill's path to the ball NDTV Sports. German players surrounded the referee in protest. Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro was shown a yellow card for his own angry reaction on the touchline.
The contact itself was minimal. Peter Schmeichel said plainly on air,
FOX Sports broadcast showed Schmeichel saying: "I actually don't think Anton did anything. The goalkeeper runs straight into him." Ilkay Gündoğan, the former Germany captain, wrote on X that in the Premier League "they'd just give a weary smile over something like that," calling the call "brutally disappointing" The Big Lead.
Pundits and Players Call the VAR Ruling Pathetic
BBC pundit Alan Shearer did not hold back. He called the decision "pathetic" and "very, very soft" The Mirror. BBC referee analyst Darren Cann described it as "lenient," though he noted it fit a pattern of marginal-contact VAR calls seen throughout the 2026 tournament. Graham Scott of The Athletic argued Anton's touch was not clear evidence of obstruction, saying players are entitled to their space.
Jan Aage Fjørtoft went further, labeling Gill's fall a flat-out dive. Julian McKenzie of The Athletic echoed that view. Not everyone agreed — analyst John Obi Mikel defended the call, arguing Anton was "not looking at the ball" and was purely blocking the keeper. The split reaction reflected a wider debate about where competitive positioning ends and a foul begins.
Paraguay's Giant-Killing and Germany's Shootout Collapse
Paraguay entered the match ranked 41st in the world — 31 places below 10th-ranked Germany. Germany dominated possession, finishing with 21 shots to Paraguay's 7 FOX Sports. Julio Enciso gave Paraguay a shock 1–0 lead in the 42nd minute with a header from a Matías Galarza cross. Kai Havertz equalized in the 54th minute with a looping header of his own. Neither side could break the deadlock in extra time after the disallowed Tah goal.
In the shootout, goalkeeper Orlando Gill — a 6-foot-6 wall from San Lorenzo — stopped two German penalties. He had already made six saves across 120 minutes. "It was like a horror movie. Germans were popping up everywhere," Gill said afterward. "I still can't believe it" Washington Post. Paraguay advances to the Round of 16 in Philadelphia — only their second-ever win in a World Cup knockout game.
Germany's Third Straight Quarter-Final Failure Raises Big Questions
Germany failed to get past the group stage in 2018 and 2022. Now they fall in the Round of 32. Manager Julian Nagelsmann criticized the VAR ruling but was blunt about the bigger picture, telling reporters the exit was "not enough" for a four-time World Cup champion Herald Sun. He said simply, "It's over," when asked about the current squad's cycle. His own future in the job is now under immediate scrutiny.
The VAR controversy is expected to push FIFA toward a formal review of how referees handle "marginal contact" during set pieces. Critics argue that soft interventions reward goalkeepers for embellishing contact and undermine the flow of the game. For Germany, the debate offers little comfort. A nation that once defined World Cup success is now searching for answers after three straight tournaments without reaching the final eight.
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