Germany used to have a flawless record when it came to penalty shootouts at the FIFA World Cup.
They are widely considered the undisputed kings of the spot-kick, having won all four of their previous World Cups shootouts - until meeting Paraguay in Boston.
Out of 24 total penalties taken by German players in World Cup shootouts, they have scored 20.
German players were born to take pressure penalties
The only time a German player had failed to score in a World Cup shootout, before Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah missed against Paraguay, was back in 1982, when Uli Stielike's shot was saved by France's Jean-Luc Ettori.
Between 1982 and 2026, Germany had converted every single penalty they had taken at the tournament.
While Germany have missed only a handful of times, their goalkeepers have also been incredibly efficient.
Out of the 24 penalties faced, opponents have only scored 14. German keepers have saved eight, and England's Chris Waddle famously blazed one over the bar in 1990. Paraguay's Antonio Sanabria also shot wide in 2026.
The streak began during the 1982 semi-finals with a 5–4 shootout victory over France following a 3–3 draw after extra time.
They secured their second shootout win four years later in the 1986 quarter-finals, defeating hosts Mexico 4–1 after the match ended goalless.
In the 1990 semi-finals, Germany overcame England 4–3 on penalties following a 1–1 draw, before most recently extending their perfect record in the 2006 quarter-finals by defeating Argentina 4–2 after another 1–1 draw after extra time.
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Even in normal time (excluding shootouts), Germany’s efficiency from the penalty spot remains top tier, though not quite perfect.
In their World Cup history, Germany (including West Germany) have taken 14 in-game penalties, successfully converting 12 of them.
