2026 World Cup: Toni Kroos slams the Mannschaft after elimination against Paraguay

Former German international Toni Kroos delivered a scathing critique of the German national team following their elimination by Paraguay in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. He believes the Mannschaft now lacks world-class players and blames overconfidence as a key factor behind their disappointing exit.

The day after Germany’s shock defeat to Paraguay, reactions continue to pour in across the country. Among the most outspoken is Toni Kroos, who did not hold back in his podcast Kroos & Kroos: die WM unter der Lupe.

The former midfielder gave an unfiltered assessment of the current state of the German squad. According to him, Germany no longer has a single player capable of turning big games the way the top stars of this World Cup do.

"We currently don't have a single world-class player. We have players with world-class potential, but that doesn’t mean they are world-class. The world-class players are currently deciding all the World Cup matches and are leading the top goalscorers’ list. We don’t have any. Let’s be honest," said Toni Kroos.

The 2014 World Cup winner also drew comparisons between this team and those that helped Germany shine at major tournaments. "Back in the days of our successful tournaments, I always had the feeling we could shift into another gear. This team is no longer capable of that," he added.

Beyond individual quality, Toni Kroos also called out the Mannschaft’s mentality. In his view, the Germans approached the match with an unjustified sense of superiority.

"We simply think we’re better than Paraguay and that we’ll win somehow," he concluded, suggesting that this attitude was a major reason for Germany’s early exit.

Nouya M'toama

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Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.