Germany's hopes of advancing in the World Cup were dashed Monday when a potential game-winning extra-time goal was disallowed in their Round of 32 match against Paraguay, ultimately leading to their elimination via a penalty shootout.
The incident occurred in the 101st minute when Jonathan Tah headed the ball past Paraguay's goalkeeper Orlando Gill. However, the goal was quickly reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed consulted the monitor and ultimately waved off the goal, ruling that defender Waldemar Anton had impeded the goalkeeper's ability to reach the ball.
According to the decision, Anton's contact with Gill constituted a foul as Tah scored from a corner kick. This ruling was met with surprise from some observers. BBC referee analyst Darren Cann stated there was "hardly anything" to justify the disallowed goal, and former England captain Alan Shearer described the foul as "very, very soft," adding that while contact occurred, "it's a contact sport."
The score remained tied at 1-1 following the disallowed goal. The match, which Paraguay had led 1-0 at halftime, proceeded to a penalty shootout. Paraguay emerged victorious with a 4-3 win, ending Germany's World Cup campaign in a significant upset.
Tah later missed his penalty kick in the shootout, a moment that proved decisive in Germany's departure from the tournament.