Berlin [Germany], June 30 (ANI): Germany legend Miroslav Klose has criticised Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after Jonathan Tah's extra-time goal was ruled out in Germany's controversial FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 exit after losing to Paraguay, in an interview to Sky Sports.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Klose questioned both the referee's decision and the VAR intervention, arguing that Tah's goal should have stood.
"I honestly cannot believe the referee and VAR have ruled that out. If that's enough to disallow a goal at a FIFA World Cup, then football is becoming far too soft. The goalkeeper was never genuinely prevented from making the save, and for me that is a perfectly legitimate goal," Klose said.
Germany believed they had won the match in the 101st minute when Tah headed home from a corner. However, after a VAR review, referee Jalal Jayed disallowed the goal for a foul in the build-up, sending the match to a penalty shootout.
Klose said such decisions were undermining the purpose of VAR.
"This is exactly why so many supporters are frustrated with VAR. Instead of correcting clear and obvious mistakes, it keeps searching for tiny incidents to cancel goals. Millions of fans came to watch football, not endless replays looking for reasons to take goals away," he said.
The all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history also felt the decision shifted the momentum away from Germany.
"The referee has completely destroyed Germany's momentum with that decision. In a match of this magnitude, you need courage to make the right call, not a whistle based on the slightest amount of contact. That's simply not what football should be about," Klose added.
Warning that the incident would remain a major talking point, Klose said the decision could have lasting consequences.
"If Germany are knocked out after this, this decision will follow the referee and VAR for a very long time. These are the moments that change World Cups, and in my opinion, they've made a huge mistake tonight," he said.
Klose concluded by insisting Tah's goal should have been allowed.
"For me, that goal should have stood every single time. Decisions like this don't just change a scoreline; they can change the fate of an entire nation, and that's why everyone will be talking about this long after the final whistle," he told Sky Sports.
The defeat marked Germany's earliest exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Paraguay progressed to the Round of 16 after a memorable night defined by VAR controversy, defensive resilience and clinical finishing from the penalty spot.
It was also only their second defeat on penalties at a major international tournament, the first coming against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final (5-3), as per OptaJoe.
The result also ranks among the biggest knockout upsets in modern World Cup history. Germany entered the tournament ranked 10th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Paraguay were 41st, a gap of 31 places.
Since 1994, only three World Cup knockout eliminations have featured a larger rankings disparity: Spain's defeat to Russia in 2018 (60 places), Italy's loss to South Korea in 2002 (34 places), and Spain's quarter-final exit to South Korea in 2002 (32 places). (ANI)
