The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stages have delivered the first massive upset of the tournament.
With the Round of 32 underway, three more teams have been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, the biggest upset among them is none other than Germany.
The Germans faced off against Paraguay, who famously suffered a 4-1 opening day loss against the USMNT. But in the knockout stages, Paraguay caused a massive upset by beating Germany in the penalty shootout.
Aside from getting eliminated from the World Cup, the shocking defeat also marks the end of an iconic Adidas partnership for Germany.
Adidas will no longer make Germany’s jerseys after World Cup exit
For the last 72 years, Adidas has manufactured Germany’s jerseys in each World Cup. But according to Sportico, that relationship has come to an end with immediate effect.
“The German national soccer federation, the DFB, shocked the world in 2024 when it announced it would switch uniform suppliers after more than seven decades with the homegrown German sportswear maker.
“Beginning in 2027, die Mannschaft will be outfitted by Adidas’ archrival, Nike,” Sportico reported.
Of course, this isn’t breaking news as it had already been announced that the four-time World Cup winners will end their ties with three stripes.
But most fans expected Germany to go deep in the competition. Naturally, a Round of 32 exit has ended the partnership sooner rather than later.
Paraguay ends Germany’s spotless penalty shootout record in World Cups
After a 1-1 draw in the regular 90 minutes, the two sides still couldn’t be separated in extra time. However, following the 120th-minute whistle, the German supporters were relaxed.
Why? Well, prior to their embarrassing display against Paraguay, Germany were undefeated in penalty shootouts at the World Cup.
Yes, the Joshua Kimmich-led team was 4-0 heading in penalty shootouts before taking on Paraguay. Speaking of the shootout, Manuel Neuer did save two shots, but it wasn’t enough.
The 40-year-old’s saves were overshadowed by terrible misses from Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade, and Jonathan Tah.
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