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Former Germany player Bastian Schweinsteiger, while speaking to German broadcaster ARD, has said that Jonathan Tah's disallowed extra-time goal may have had a psychological impact on him, contributing to his missed penalty in Germany's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 defeat to Paraguay.
Speaking to German broadcaster ARD, Schweinsteiger reflected on the emotional weight of controversial VAR decisions in high-pressure knockout matches and their possible effect on players. "I honestly think that disallowed goal never left Jonathan Tah's mind. Imagine believing you've scored the goal that sends your country through, celebrating with your teammates, and then having it taken away by VAR. Moments like that stay with you," Schweinsteiger said. Tah had earlier seen what could have been a decisive extra-time goal ruled out following a VAR review, before Germany eventually lost 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Schweinsteiger suggested that the incident may have affected Tah's mental clarity when stepping up during the shootout. "When he walked up to take that penalty, I don't think he was completely free mentally. People will ask why he missed such a huge penalty, but football is psychological as much as it is technical. I genuinely believe that first goal being ruled out affected him. It would affect almost any player," he added. However, the former Germany international was quick to defend Tah, saying responsibility should not be placed on the defender alone. "I won't point the finger at Jonathan Tah because penalties are taken by brave players, not cowards. He had the courage to step forward when others could have hidden. But I can't stop thinking that if that first goal had stood, Germany wouldn't even have been in a penalty shootout. Football can be unbelievably cruel, and tonight Jonathan Tah suffered the harshest side of it," Schweinsteiger said. A controversial VAR decision that ruled out Germany's potential extra-time winner proved decisive as Paraguay stunned four-time champions Germany in a penalty shootout to book their place in the Round of 16, The Athletic reported. Germany believed they had secured the win in the 101st minute when Jonathan Tah headed home from a corner. However, after German players celebrated the goal, referee Jalal Jayed of Morocco was instructed to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor following a VAR intervention, according to The Athletic. 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)
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