Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has challenged his players to produce their best performance yet at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they prepare for a crucial Round of 32 showdown against Paraguay.
Speaking ahead of the knockout fixture, Nagelsmann described the encounter as a “do-or-die” contest, stressing that there would be no room for mistakes as Germany seek a place in the Round of 16.
“The boys will bring their A-game. We have to be patient,” the German coach said, expressing confidence that his side is ready for the challenge despite the high stakes.
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Nagelsmann warned that Paraguay would not be an easy opponent, praising the South Americans for their disciplined defensive approach and physical strength.
“Paraguay is a team that defends well and stays compact. They have good players and strong physical players,” he said.
The Germany manager also admitted his team must improve significantly from their previous outing against Ecuador, insisting that the squad has used the time since then to address its shortcomings.
“We need a perfect performance tomorrow. We had enough time to prepare well. We all want to do it better than we did against Ecuador,” Nagelsmann added.
Germany enter the knockout stage carrying the weight of expectation as one of football’s traditional powerhouses, but they face a Paraguay side renowned for its resilience, organisation and ability to frustrate technically superior opponents.
Victory would send Germany into the Round of 16, while defeat would bring their World Cup campaign to an abrupt end, making Monday’s encounter one of the standout fixtures of the knockout stage.
