German Chancellor Friedrich Merz offered words of encouragement to the Germany national team after a third early World Cup elimination in a row on Monday, but his upbeat analysis of the defeat has been met with widespread ridicule online.
"Even though the elimination hurts: What a game," Merz wrote on X.
"With your dedication and team spirit at this World Cup, you've inspired our country. We're proud of you."
Germany lost 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay on Monday after a dour 1-1 draw in the last 32.
The chancellor's post swiftly garnered criticism online, with many social media users questioning whether they had watched the same match as Merz.
The Bild tabloid accused Merz of making "a fool of himself," and shared a mocking post from Russian businessman and special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev who said: "Merz is good at always encouraging a failure."
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, an MEP for the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), reposted Merz's comments on X, writing: "I don't know which was worse. The match or this analysis."
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party claimed Merz had become "so accustomed to glossing over" his party's performance "that he simply can’t help himself."
Approval ratings for Merz's conservative bloc have been on decline for months, while the AfD, Germany's largest opposition party, has topped a number of recent surveys.
Germany at least reached the knock-outs for the first time since their last triumph in 2014. In 2018 and 2022, they went home after the group stage.
