Germany’s premature elimination from the World Cup in the Round of 16, following a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, has sparked significant backlash from the media, fans, and former international players. Among the most vocal critics is Toni Kroos, the 36-year-old former German international, who did not hold back in analyzing the shortcomings of the team led by Julian Nagelsmann.
The former midfielder for Real Madrid emphasized the lack of established players as a key issue for the team. “Currently, we do not have any world-class players,” Kroos stated during his TikTok show, “Kroos & Kroos: World Cup Under the Microscope.”
He further elaborated on the distinction between a player’s potential and their actual performance. “We have players with world-class potential, but that does not mean they are world-class. World-class players are the ones who can decide every match in a World Cup. And those players can be found on the list of top scorers. We do not have any of them, we must acknowledge that,” he detailed, as quoted by abola.pt.
Toni Kroos Critiques Germany’s World Cup Exit
For Kroos, the central problem of the German national team lies in its inability to elevate performance during crucial moments. “Germany is not capable of raising its level. When we had successful tournaments, I always felt we could shift into a higher gear,” he recalled.
He concluded with a critique of the team’s mentality: “We just believe we are better than Paraguay and that we will somehow win… and that is not the case,” Kroos said, expressing deep disappointment over Germany’s World Cup journey.
Toni Kroos retired in 2024 after a decade with Real Madrid, during which he won five Champions League titles and four league titles with the club. He played 465 matches for Real Madrid, scoring 28 goals and providing 99 assists.
Named Germany’s best footballer in 2018, Kroos boasts a remarkable 34 trophies to his name. His most noteworthy achievements include the 2014 World Cup, five UEFA Champions League titles (one with Bayern Munich and four with Real Madrid), and five UEFA Super Cups.
For the national team, Kroos earned 114 caps, scoring 17 goals and providing 21 assists.
