2026 World Cup: Germany and Neuer’s Disappointing Record Becomes a Talking Point

In the 42nd minute of the Germany-Paraguay match, the Mannschaft suffered yet another setback. A precise cross from the right by Matias Galarza found Julian Enciso—the Albirroja’s brightest talent—completely unmarked in the center of the box. The Strasbourg forward made no mistake, heading the ball past Manuel Neuer to make it 1-0. For Germany, this marks their tenth consecutive World Cup match in which they have conceded at least one goal—an unprecedented negative record in the history of the German national team.

In fact, their last clean sheet dates back to the 2014 World Cup final victory over Argentina. Since then, in all ten subsequent World Cup matches, Neuer has been forced to retrieve the ball from the back of the net at least once. This streak has continued even against opponents considered beatable on paper: from Costa Rica, which managed to score two goals in 2022, to Curaçao, Ecuador, and Paraguay in this tournament.

This streak was kicked off by another Latin American team, Mexico, which won 1-0 in the opening match of the group stage at Russia 2018 thanks to a decisive goal by Hirving Lozano.

What made the outcome even more bitter for the Germans was, of course, how the match ended. After Paraguay took the lead through Enciso, Germany managed to get back into the game but ultimately succumbed in the penalty shootout, being eliminated by Paraguay 4-3 from the spot after the match ended 1-1 in regulation and extra time. Another World Cup disappointment for the Mannschaft, which not only confirmed its defensive fragility but also saw its World Cup run come to an end in the Round of 16.