"This is crying out for consequences" – Hummels delivers damning verdict after Germany's loss to Paraguay | OneFootball

After two consecutive group-stage exits, the 2026 World Cup also ended in disappointment for Germany, as Julian Nagelsmann’s side lost to Paraguay on penalties in the round of 32 on Monday.

Mats Hummels, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, was speaking as a pundit on MagentaTV after the match and delivered a scathing assessment of the performance and elimination.

“I've rarely been as emotionally involved as I was today, so I hope these are the right words,” Hummels said.

“I think there were only a few phases in the match where we really managed to dominate Paraguay – or create goal danger. Unfortunately, this is the consequence of what has been happening over the past few years, both at major tournaments and in between. It's really a shame how many tournaments we have now thrown away as Germany, sometimes with me involved as well,” added Hummels, who played his last game for Germany in 2023.

“It's a bitter disappointment; it's close to embarrassing. It simply hurts – it hurts that Germany currently plays almost no role in football.”

The 37-year-old added that the latest failure must lead to consequences.

"On the side of those in charge, this is crying out for consequences – I can't put it any other way. We had the home Euros, the home Nations League, and now this World Cup. The home Euros were already talked up too positively for me. So this has to become a topic, both for the head coach and the federation. There need to be discussions. Football is too much of a performance sport for that not to happen."

Hummels also suggested that some of the more experienced players should consider their future with the national team.

"On the players’ side, I can imagine that some will retire. You may also need to look at players in their early 30s who have had several chances to achieve good results for Germany at tournaments. Because for me, this is not a coincidence. It’s not a coincidence that we haven’t had a strong tournament since Euro 2016 – that’s a whole decade now. 

“It starts with the players. I also expect some of them to say themselves: 'I’m not continuing' – and I also expect the current or future head coach to make some tough decisions,” he concluded.