Julian Nagelsmann leaves Germany future with the DFB

"I'm available. If the DFB want me to stay until 2028, I will." Julian Nagelsmann did not sound like a coach preparing to walk away after Germany's World Cup exit to Paraguay. He sounded like someone putting the decision back on the federation after the round of 32 defeat in Boston, where the match finished 1-1 before Paraguay advanced on penalties in Germany vs Paraguay.

The DFB now holds the decision

Nagelsmann's line was plain enough: he wants to continue, but the choice is no longer his. He said, "This is no longer in my hands but I am ready if they want," and added that if the DFB want it, he will prepare for the European Championship and the Nations League.

That leaves Germany with a familiar post-exit question, but not a settled answer. Arne Friedrich has already argued that the journey continues without Nagelsmann, while Thomas Hitzlsperger said the defeat does not look good for him. Nagelsmann's own position is the opposite. He has been Germany manager since 2023 and his contract runs until 2028, so there is no contractual urgency forcing an immediate break.

The result itself gives the federation something harder to ignore. Germany were level at 1-1 before the shootout, with Kai Havertz scoring the equaliser and Jonathan Tah later missing Germany's final penalty after Jose Canale scored the winner for Paraguay. Tah still posted a 7.3 rating, which says a bit about how much Germany's collapse was spread across the whole night rather than one moment.

Germany's problems against Paraguay

The performance criticism is there as well. Nagelsmann said Germany's possession was "very slow overall", that they "lacked the cutting edge" and had "hardly any presence in the penalty area". Jurgen Klopp was even blunter, saying Germany had to attack down the wings and did not do it.

The shape mattered too. Nagelsmann set Germany up in a 4-4-2, and the team still could not turn territorial control into enough danger. Bayern Football Works noted that Germany had nearly 80% possession in the first half and still failed to register a shot on goal, while Paraguay needed only 20% possession to score before the break. Florian Wirtz was Germany's top performer by rating at 8.3 and Nick Woltemade finished with a solid 6.9, but the broader issue was the same one Nagelsmann identified himself: too little speed, too little width, too little presence where it mattered.

Germany began the tournament with two wins in their first two matches, so this was not a side that looked broken from the start. The exit changed the mood quickly, though, and the DFB now has to decide whether the coach who wants to stay is still the right one after a round of 32 defeat on penalties.