Toni Kroos takes aim at Germany squad and warns of World Cup exit against Paraguay unless two major issues are solved

Toni Kroos has delivered a stark warning to Germany's national team following their underwhelming group-stage conclusion. The 2014 World Cup winner has pulled no punches in his assessment of Julian Nagelsmann's side, cautioning that they face an immediate exit in the knockout rounds unless they urgently address two glaring issues.

Kroos identified defensive vulnerabilities and the form of key attacking players as critical concerns ahead of Germany's Round of 32 clash against Paraguay on 29 June 2026. "It has to be nasty to play against us meaning we need to be capable of defending well and being gritty. We aren't doing that yet. And we need Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz in top form - which we don't have right now," Kroos stated.

The midfielder emphasised that if both areas do not improve rapidly, Germany will struggle to progress. "If both of these things don't change we won't last much longer. We used to have matches where we played poorly too - like against Algeria. But we were still able to win those bad games. I don't think this current team has that in them," he added.

Kroos also disagreed with Nagelsmann's assertion that complacency played no role in their sluggish display. "This is a group that gives everything. However I don't agree with the coach saying that complacency had absolutely nothing to do with it. You always have that in the back of your mind when you ve already qualified. You can't just block it out it's completely human. We are simply not a physical team," he explained.

Despite his criticisms, the former midfielder maintained faith in the squad's potential. "And I stand by my statement. I believe that if it comes to a match against France if everything clicks we can beat them," Kroos concluded.

Germany finished the group stage with a surprise loss to Ecuador but had already secured qualification through earlier victories. They will be strong favourites against Paraguay, with a potential blockbuster against France or Sweden awaiting the winners.