Two Attackers That Should Have Been Included in Germany's World Cup Squad After Disastrous Paraguay Defeat
Germany's miserable recent record at the World Cup has continued into a third straight tournament as Die Mannschaft suffered a disastrous exit at the hands of Paraguay in the Round of 32. Julian Nagelsmann's men were heavy betting favourites after they topped Group E, and their opponents scraped through Group D with a disastrous 4-1 defeat against the co-hosting USA in their opening game. But despite the seeming gulf in expectations, an impotent German attack was unable to break down a staunch Paraguayan backline.
Julio Enciso nodded the underdogs ahead shortly before halftime, only for Kai Havertz to reply with a header of his own nine minutes after the break. The scores would remain level at 1-1 deep into extra time, where Germany thought they had found the winner after Jonathan Tah headed past Orlando Gill, but the goal would be ruled out by VAR after the softest of fouls against the goalkeeper. And in double quick time, Tah would go from hero to villain.
Germany's First World Cup Shootout Defeat
In the resulting penalty shootout, Germany were immediately on the brink of defeat after both Havertz and Nick Woltemade saw their penalties saved by Gill. But Paraguay would fail to take not one but two chances to win the contest, firstly with Antonio Sanabria dragging his spotkick wide before the veteran Manuel Neuer saved from Fabián Balbuena. Even so, as soon as Die Mannschaft had parity, Tah would send his penalty high into the Boston afternoon sky, allowing José Canale to rifle past Neuer and into the top corner to seal a stunning Paraguay win.
Germany had headed into the World Cup without the backing of the bookies. The popular sports betting at Thunderpick made them a distant 16/1 fringe contender to go all the way, well behind the likes of France, Spain, England, and Argentina. And ultimately, the popular crypto betting outlet's prediction was bang on the money as the Germans proved to be a shadow of the team that once conquered the world back in 2014.
Since their finest hour in Brazil, Germany have now suffered three straight early exits. They were dumped out in the group stage in both Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. This time around, they made it through the group stage despite a lacklustre defeat to Ecuador, but Paraguay has since sent them packing. It could, however, have been so different.
Manager Nagelsmann left a slew of big names at home for the World Cup, much to the dismay of the German footballing public. So, could either of these two attackers have made a difference and helped Germany defeat Paraguay to continue their march deeper into the tournament? We think so.
Karim Adeyemi
Karim Adeyemi was once considered the hottest young talent in German football. He was lighting up the Austrian Bundesliga with RB Salzburg, but since moving to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022, his stock has fallen somewhat. His critics say he lacks the finishing ability and composure to be a true superstar, but there can be no denying that the 23-year-old winger has that X Factor which strikes fear into the opposition.
Germany's squad at the World Cup was lacking any kind of pace at all. Leroy Sane isn't the force he once was at Manchester City, while the out-of-form Florian Wirtz is more of a technician rather than someone gifted with lightning speed. Adeyemi certainly has that speed in abundance, and the clash with Paraguay was crying out for someone of his ilk to get in behind the staunch Paraguayan backline.
Adeyemi netted ten goals in all competitions for Dortmund last season, by no means earth- shattering numbers, but still a solid output for one of the Bundesliga's most electrifying wingers. He had scored crucial goals against both Stuttgart and Augsburg in the dying embers of the 2025/26 season, but that clearly wasn't enough to turn Nagelsmann's head. Perhaps it should have.
Serge Gnabry
Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry has been one of Germany's most reliable presences in recent years. The former Arsenal youngster has appeared 59 times for his country, netting 26 goals in a stellar strike rate of almost a goal every two games. He is someone blessed with more pace than Sane and was arguably in better form than the Galatasaray man. Not only that, but he can also play in a myriad of positions: adept on either flank, as an out-and-out striker, or as a number ten.
Last term, Gnabry shone for Bayern, netting ten goals and providing 11 assists with a newfound creativity in central positions. Germany were crying out for somebody to unlock the Paraguayan defence in their recent defeat, with the likes of Wirtz, Sane, and Jamal Musiala all lacking the required craft to pick the lock. Gnabry certainly has that, as he displayed all season long in Bavaria. Ultimately, though, he wasn't selected, and Nagelsmann now has to live with the decision, a decision that could well cost him his job in the aftermath of this disastrous exit.
World Cup 2026 fixture