Zlatan Ibrahimovic Slams Germany Following FIFA World Cup Exit On Penalties

Published 30 June 2026 · sports

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Slams Germany Following FIFA World Cup Exit On Penalties Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 10:36 IST Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts as Germany

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Slams Germany Following FIFA World Cup Exit On Penalties Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 10:36 IST Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts as Germany suffer historic FIFA World Cup penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, with Orlando Gill starring in a seismic upset. Rapid Read Nick Woltemade reacts after he missed to score during the penalty shootout during the World Cup round of 32 match against Paraguay (Picture credit: AP) Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said that Germany didn’t make use of the opportunities they had to score against Paraguay, and that at the knockout stage, even one small lapse can lead to the end of a campaign. Since lifting the FIFA World Cup in 2014, Germany have struggled to rediscover the consistency and dominance that once defined them and their loss to Paraguay only deepened that decline.

After a 1-1 draw after extra time, Germany suffered the first penalty shootout defeat in their FIFA World Cup history, faltering from the spot as Paraguay kept their composure to bag a famous place in the Round of 16. “This is the game. Win or lose. There is no second chance as you have in the group stage and if you don’t score those goals, they have great opportunities to score," Zlatan said while speaking on Fox Sports. “The goalie of Paraguay might have had a game of his life and then when it comes to penalties, 50/50, there is no favourite in penalties. But Paraguay is solid, defending well and keeping that box tight," Zlatan added.

Germany’s hopes of mounting a deep run at the tournament ended at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium with the nation’s first-ever loss in a FIFA World Cup penalty shoot-out. The seismic upset headlined another thrilling day of FIFA World Cup action as the knockout stage started, with Brazil coming from behind to snatch a dramatic 2-1 injury-time win against Japan, while Morocco edged the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after a gripping contest in Monterrey. Goalie Orlando Gill was the hero for Paraguay in their shoot-out loss of Germany, saving shots from Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade to give them the advantage. But Paraguay blew two opportunities to win it before Jose Canale blasted in the winning spot-kick after Jonathan Tah blazed his effort over the bar.

News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: June 30, 2026, 10:33 IST News sports football Zlatan Ibrahimovic Slams Germany Following FIFA World Cup Exit On Penalties Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...