“Strange and difficult”: Bayern star Pavlovic vents his World Cup frustration | OneFootball

Aleksandar Pavlovic has spoken publicly for the first time following the German national team’s surprising World Cup exit. The FC Bayern midfielder expressed deep disappointment and had strong words about the team’s disappointing performance in the tournament.

Following the bitter elimination in the round of 32 of the World Cup against Paraguay, the first DFB players have returned to Germany. One of them is Bayern pro Aleksandar Pavlovic, who landed in Munich on Wednesday.

In an interview with Sky, the 21-year-old spoke for the first time about the German national team’s early exit—and made no secret of his disappointment.

“We’re all incredibly sad.”

Photo: Getty Images

Pavlovic didn’t have a specific explanation for the surprising elimination. “Of course, we’re deeply disappointed. We had hoped for much more and set much higher goals for ourselves. We’re all incredibly sad. It’s a very bitter result,” the midfielder explained.

Even the Bayern star himself couldn’t conclusively explain why Germany was eliminated in the first knockout round. “It’s hard to explain—it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Despite the huge disappointment, Pavlovic is already looking ahead. “This World Cup was very strange and difficult, just like the game against Paraguay. Now we have to stay positive and look ahead,” emphasized the 21-year-old.

For Pavlovic, the tournament in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico was the first World Cup of his career. He had previously missed the 2024 European Championship on home soil due to illness.

Following the early World Cup exit, the Bayern Munich pro now has time to process the experience before he begins preparations for the new season with Germany’s record-holding champions in the coming weeks.