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Germany will not advance to the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and some might argue that the Germans have a legitimate grip on how their loss to Paraguay in the round of 16 unfolded.
In the final minutes of the first half of extra time, German defender Jonathan Tah scored on a header from a corner that would have given his side a 2-1 lead. However, Germany defender Waldemar Anton was ruled to have struck Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill following a VAR review, disallowing the goal.
Germany went on to lose on penalties in arguably one of the biggest upsets in men’s World Cup history. Before Germany’s defeat, however, at least one former goalkeeper sided with the Germans over what happened.
“I don’t think it’s a mistake,” former Denmark and Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel said on FOX’s “World Cup Live” between extra periods. “I actually don’t think Anton did anything. He’s just there. The keeper runs straight into him and I think they got that wrong.”
Not everyone on the panel agreed with Schmeichel. Former Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel claimed that the striker’s positioning justified the referee’s whistle, noting that the player blocked the goalkeeper without looking at the play.
“I think it’s a mistake,” Mikel said. “For me, when he obstructed the goalkeeper, you can see that the goalkeeper has his eyes on the ball. He has his eyes on the ball the whole time, and the player is just standing there. He’s not thinking about the ball. He’s not looking at the ball. And that’s exactly what happened. To me it looks a little soft. But I think the referee made the right decision.”
Former USA striker Clint Dempsey broke the tie on the panel and chose to support Schmeichel’s perspective.
“When you have a goalkeeper who is part of the goalkeepers association who says it’s not a foul, then it’s not a foul,” Dempsey said.
The disallowed goal ultimately leveled the game and Germany never had as good a chance to take the lead as they did at that point. It ended up losing on penalties, 4-3, with Tah missing a last-round penalty before Paraguay’s José Canale scored, continuing a tough streak for Germany in recent World Cups.
