Germany were eliminated in the Round of 32 after a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay on Monday. This marks the first time Germany had ever lost a World Cup penalty shootout.
Following the exit, Matthaus stated the situation reminded him of the 1994 tournament, which was also held in the U.S. Back then, Germany were eliminated by Bulgaria in the quarterfinals.
“There was a lot to deal with, both on and off the pitch,” said the 65-year-old former midfielder, the captain of the Germany team that won the 1990 World Cup in Italy, as quoted by Daily Mail. “There were problems involving wives, families, there was everything.”
Germany forward Kai Havertz and his wife Sophia in the stands at the 2026 World Cup. Photo by Instagram/@sophiaaemelia |
According to Matthaus, arranging flights and hotels for family members became an issue within the squad.
“One player was upset because another player’s mother could travel on the team plane, while someone else was allowed to bring his wife and children,” he added. “Other families had to travel on commercial flights. In the end, there was a lot of turmoil that never became public.”
Matthaus chose not to reveal the identities of the players involved.
He believes the German Football Association (DFB) must seriously reconsider its policy regarding families of players during major tournaments. He argues that family members should only be flown in to support the team when they have achieved a certain level of success and advanced deep into the tournament.
“The focus simply wasn’t on the World Cup,” he continued. “They hadn’t even been in the United States for two weeks before their families were already there. They could have waited until the quarterfinals.”
The criticism didn’t stop with the players. Matthaus had previously expressed concern about the frequent presence of coach Julian Nagelsmann’s girlfriend at the team’s headquarters.
Lena Wurzenberger, 34, became the main topic of discussion due to her constant presence with the squad, Bild reported.
The former female journalist even appeared at the pre-tournament training camp in Frankfurt, Germany, watching training sessions alongside the girlfriends and wives of many players.
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Burgi (clapping) and Lena Wurzenberger (waving scarf), mother and girlfriend of head coach Julian Nagelsmann, cheer on Germany in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Curacao, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, USA, on June 14, 2026. Photo by AFP |
After Germany’s 7-1 victory against Curacao in their first group stage match, Wurzenberger was again seen watching the reserve players’ recovery sessions. German media also reported that she and Nagelsmann returned to the team’s hotel together and were seen cycling to the training ground the following morning.
Some observers believe that the heavy presence of the head coach’s girlfriend might make players or coaching staff more hesitant to openly discuss or critique the manager.
Nagelsmann and Wurzenberger are believed to have started dating after the coach separated from his wife of 15 years, Verena, in 2022. At that time, Nagelsmann was managing Bayern Munich, while Wurzenberger was a sports reporter covering the team for Bild.
Nagelsmann has resigned as Germany head coach following the World Cup elimination, according to Friday media reports.
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