Germany had a goal disallowed in extra-time during their World Cup shock defeat to Paraguay, with Jurgen Klopp taking aim at Arsenal in the aftermath of the controversial decision
Kieran King Football Writer
09:00, 30 Jun 2026Updated 09:04, 30 Jun 2026
Jurgen Klopp following Germany's defeat to Paraguay
Jurgen Klopp following Germany's defeat to Paraguay(Image: Getty Images)
Jürgen Klopp took a subtle swipe at Arsenal following Germany's controversial extra-time goal being chalked off during their stunning World Cup exit to Paraguay.
Julian Nagelsmann's team believed they had grabbed the lead in the 116th minute in Boston when Jonathan Tah powered home a header at the back post. However, after a VAR check, referee Jalal Jayed opted to disallow the strike as Waldemar Anton was deemed to have committed a foul on goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the build-up.
Anton seemed to make contact with Gil following a corner delivery into the area, leaving Tah unmarked to nod into the top corner. Yet Jayed determined that Anton had fouled the Paraguay keeper, leaving Germany incensed. The defeat had Germany fans flooding social media calling for Klopp to take over from Nagelsmann, with doubts over Florian Wirtz more evident than ever.
Paraguay ultimately held firm for a 1-1 stalemate after extra-time before prevailing 4-3 on spot-kicks to advance to the Round of 16, eliminating four-time champions Germany in the process.
Speaking afterwards, former Anfield boss Klopp gave his assessment of the contentious disallowed goal and suggested Arsenal "scored 60% of their goals that way" during their march to the Premier League crown, reports the Mirror.
"If the goal is illegal, then Arsenal won't be English champions," Klopp told MagentaTV. "They've scored 60% of their goals that way. We win the game when the ball goes in. So, of course, this is brutal."
Jurgen Klop
Jurgen Klopp aimed a cheeky dig at Arsenal during his appearance on TV covering the World Cup(Image: Getty Images)
The Gunners netted 25 Premier League goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) throughout their 2025/26 title-winning season, representing the highest tally in the division.
In doing so, Mikel Arteta's team established a new Premier League single-season record for the highest number of goals scored from corners (19), with Gabriel Magalhães (3) and Jurrien Timber (3) amongst those who profited.
However, throughout the campaign, Arsenal encountered criticism for the robust tactics they employed at corners, with goalkeepers frequently becoming targets as Arteta and set-piece coach Nicolas Jover sought to extract maximum benefit.
Klopp's critique of Arsenal won't mask the reality that Germany have been knocked out of the World Cup at the last 32 stage, though, with Nagelsmann's team widely tipped as strong contenders to advance before kick-off.
Yet Paraguay, positioned 22 places beneath Germany in the FIFA World Rankings, shocked their European rivals. They had gone ahead through former Brighton and Ipswich player Julio Enciso in the opening half, only for Arsenal's Kai Havertz to level matters after the interval.
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Despite mounting pressure from Die Mannschaft, Paraguay held firm for penalties before edging through in the shootout to secure a fixture against either France or Sweden in the next round.