Matthäus: Families Hurt Germany’s World Cup Focus
Germany football legend Lothar Matthäus has criticized the national team’s preparation and focus following its surprise penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 at Boston Stadium.
Speaking to the German newspaper Bild, Matthäus argued that the squad appeared distracted by off-field matters, claiming the tournament had become more of a family trip than a football competition.
“There’s a lot to process, both on and off the pitch. Wives, families, everyone was involved. Lots of headlines,” said Matthäus, who captained West Germany to the 1990 FIFA World Cup title.
The former midfielder said family travel arrangements created unnecessary distractions within the squad. According to Matthäus, players discussed issues such as hotel bookings, travel plans, and differences in how family members were accommodated.
“I don’t know why you have to involve all the families right from the start,” he said. “It became about travel options and hotel bookings. One player was upset because another player’s relatives received different travel arrangements. These discussions created unrest within the team.”
Matthäus added that, in his view, Germany’s attention was not fully on the tournament.
“Ultimately, there was a lot of unrest that never became public. The focus simply wasn’t on this World Cup. It was always another free family day. They had barely been in America for two weeks before their families were back with them. In my opinion, families could have joined later in the tournament after the team had achieved something.”
Family members of several Germany players were visible during the competition. Anika Neuer attended Germany’s Round of 32 match in Foxborough, Massachusetts, while Oliver Baumann was seen with his wife following Germany’s 2-1 Group E defeat to Ecuador at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Germany, a four-time FIFA World Cup champion, suffered another historic setback with the loss to Paraguay, marking the first time the nation has been eliminated in a World Cup penalty shootout.
