Klopp flies in as Germany tops the wrong World Cup ranking

Germany tops the wrong World Cup ranking

No country placed more players on the list of biggest World Cup disappointments than Germany. Four DFB players were named in a ranking of the tournament's biggest letdowns after the round-of-32 exit to Paraguay (1). Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, and Manuel Neuer all made the cut. Philipp Lahm summed it up bluntly: "We are not the Spaniards, not the French, not the Argentinians" (1).

Klopp deal moving: secret flight to Germany

Jurgen Klopp reportedly flew to Germany in secret as the DFB pushes to finalise his appointment as national team coach (2). The basic points of the contract are already settled. His first match in charge could be the Nations League clash against the Netherlands in September (1) (2). Klopp inherits a side still reeling from that Paraguay elimination and the end of the Nagelsmann era.

Argentina closing in on the all-time table

Germany still sits second in the all-time World Cup standings, but Argentina is gaining ground fast. Seven wins at this tournament have cut the gap significantly (3). Brazil remains top. The numbers are tightening just as Germany posted its worst World Cup showing in decades.

Hurzeler: Germany has everything Spain has

Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler pushed back hard on the narrative that Spain is simply better resourced. "Nobody can tell me that Germany has fewer possibilities than Spain," he said (4). Hürzeler pointed to Carlo Ancelotti's philosophy as a reference point and argued the national team needs a clearer identity, not more talent.

Mbappe breaks Messi's record as England take third

England beat France 6–4 in the third-place playoff on Saturday (6). Kylian Mbappe scored his 22nd World Cup goal, surpassing Lionel Messi to become the tournament's all-time top scorer. Bukayo Saka was decisive for England. Didier Deschamps, likely managing his last France match, said: "In my head I know very well that tomorrow the final curtain falls" (6).

World Cup final set: Spain vs Argentina

The final is tonight, Sunday at 21:00. Spain vs Argentina, two nations chasing history. Germany remains the record finalist with eight appearances (5). That record holds, but watching from the sidelines stings.

Fan reactions

German fans are not hiding their frustration. The mood on Reddit mixes gallows humor with real anger over how the team crashed out. One thread pointing out that Germany's 2014 win remains the only exception to a pattern where third-place teams were knocked out by the eventual champion has fans revisiting old ghosts. There is cautious optimism around Klopp, but the Paraguay wound is still raw. Join the discussion