Merz praised Germany's 'inspiring' World Cup display despite elimination – and drew fire

Another early exit

Germany's footballers were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the newly introduced round of 32, losing to Paraguay after a penalty shoot‑out. The defeat followed a group‑stage campaign that included a heavy 7‑1 win over Curaçao and a narrow 2‑1 victory against Ivory Coast, but also a loss to Ecuador. The exit marked the third consecutive tournament in which the four‑time champion failed to reach the round of 16.

Players and coach Julian Nagelsmann did not sugar‑coat the performance. Nagelsmann said his side had played too slowly, while captain Joshua Kimmich offered no excuses, saying a team that cannot beat a beatable opponent over 120 minutes deserved to go out. The mood was one of raw disappointment.

Merz's tone‑deaf praise

Into that gloom came a message from Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz on X. 'Even though the elimination hurts: what a game, DFB team!' he wrote. 'With your commitment and team spirit at this World Cup you have inspired our country. We are proud of you.' The post was signed from the official chancellor's account.

The upbeat tone clashed sharply with the consensus view of the match, which pundits described as one of the tournament's weakest. Paraguay defended deep and Germany lacked ideas and intensity for long stretches.

'Which game?' trends

Within hours the phrase 'Welches Spiel' (which game) was trending on X, as users ridiculed Merz's judgment. Many questioned whether the chancellor had watched the right country. One commenter wrote: 'Did you watch another land by mistake?' Another joked that Jonathan Tah's missed penalty in the shoot‑out was 'as accurate as our chancellor's analysis.' Overall, the post gathered more replies than likes.

I don't know what was worse. The game or this analysis.

Political rivals join in

The social‑media reaction was mirrored by politicians. Strack‑Zimmermann, a Free Democrat MEP, mocked the statement. The far‑right AfD's X account tied the praise to Merz's own politics: 'Merz has become so used to glossing over the miserable performance of his CDU that he simply can't do otherwise.' Sevim Dagdelen of the left‑wing BSW diagnosed 'loss of reality at chancellor level, exactly as with his politics.'

Loss of reality at chancellor level. Exactly as with his politics.

Leitmotif of a 'performance society'

The Berliner Zeitung argued that Merz's message contradicted his long‑standing political message. As chancellor, Merz has styled himself a preacher of the 'Leistungsgesellschaft' (performance society), championing the idea that effort and results must be rewarded and welfare recipients pushed to work. Praising a team for effort alone on sport's biggest stage, the paper said, sent a signal that good intentions now trump outcome, a dangerous precedent for a side that has under‑performed for three successive World Cups.