Overview
- Germany play Paraguay in the Sechzehntelfinale on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the Boston stadium in a single‑elimination match that would end Germany's tournament if they lose.
- Julian Nagelsmann said the game is a must-win and told reporters that victory would solve everything while defeat would bring serious consequences for the team.
- Team selection remains unsettled with debate over Joshua Kimmich's position, Nathaniel Brown returning to training and widely circulated projected lineups that list Neuer; Kimmich, Rüdiger, Tah, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlović; Sané, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz.
- Outside voices have intensified scrutiny with Gary Lineker calling this one of Germany's weakest squads and Kai Havertz publicly dismissing those comments as irrelevant to the team.
- Paraguay is expected to deploy a compact, physical defensive block that former player Nelson Valdez warned will be hard to break down and a German exit would deepen questions about the DFB's recovery after recent World Cup disappointments.