Germany Exits World Cup 4-3 on Penalties as 0.6% Growth Forecast Underscores Wider Decline
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Jun 30
Germany Exits World Cup 4-3 on Penalties as 0.6% Growth Forecast Underscores Wider Decline
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Jun 30
Summary
Germany crashed out of the World Cup after a 4-3 penalty loss to Paraguay following a 1-1 draw, its first-ever shootout defeat in the tournament.
The exit extends a sharp football slide: Germany has not won a World Cup knockout match since lifting the trophy in 2014 and also fell in the group stage in 2018 and 2022.
Economists and analysts cited a parallel national slowdown, with GDP still around its 2019 level and EU forecasts showing only 0.6% growth in 2026 after years of stagnation.
That weakness has been driven by Chinese competition, U.S. tariffs, higher energy costs after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and strain in core industries such as autos.
The report casts the defeat as part of a broader erosion of German confidence and influence since 2014, alongside rising political fragmentation and stronger support for the AfD.