Germany faced a stunning exit from the 2026 World Cup as they were eliminated by Paraguay in a penalty shootout, marking the end of a remarkable 50-year streak. The match, held in Boston on Monday, concluded with a 1-1 draw after extra time, leading to a shootout where Paraguay triumphed 4-3.

This defeat was particularly shocking given Germany's historical dominance in shootouts, having won six consecutive shootouts in all competitions before this match. Their only previous loss occurred in 1976, when Antonín Panenka famously sent West Germany packing with a legendary spot-kick in the European Championship semi-finals.

Germany's shootout prowess became legendary, characterized by their remarkable consistency:

• After Uli Stielike missed in the 1982 World Cup, Germany scored 15 consecutive penalties in shootouts against top teams such as France, Mexico, England, and Argentina.
• In Euro 96, all six German takers successfully converted their penalties against David Seaman.

However, the tide turned at Euro 2016 when Germany narrowly defeated Italy 6-5, with key players Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, and Bastian Schweinsteiger failing to score against Gianluigi Buffon.

In the recent match against Paraguay, three German players missed their penalties, including Jonathan Tah, who had never taken one before. Despite Kai Havertz boasting a penalty record of 23 out of 24 successful attempts and Nick Woltemade converting 16 out of 18, both failed to find the net, ending Germany's storied penalty shootout legacy.