Germany Captain Kimmich Last to Leave Hotel After World Cup Exit
Following Germany's shock round-of-32 elimination by Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup, captain Joshua Kimmich remained at the team hotel in Winston-Salem for an extra day and a half, the last player to depart. He apologized repeatedly to DFB staff, held discussions, and cited family considerations—his wife and four children had traveled with him. This marked Kimmich's third World Cup without a title, but he vowed to continue his national team career.
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Kimmich Last to Leave German Team Base After World Cup Elimination, Stayed for Family and Captain Duties
According to Bild and Der Spiegel, Joshua Kimmich was the last German national team player to leave the team hotel 'Graylyn Estate' in Winston-Salem after Germany's World Cup elimination. The 31-year-old Bayern Munich captain stayed an extra day and a half, holding in-depth conversations with German Football Association staff, repeatedly asking if there was anything else to handle, and apologizing for the team's early exit. A key reason for his delayed departure was his wife Lina and their four children, who had traveled with him. After the team's penalty shootout loss to Paraguay, they returned to base at 1:10 AM, and Kimmich did not want to force his young family onto another plane immediately. His captaincy also played a role, as he did not want to be the first to leave, mirroring Ilkay Gündogan's behavior after Euro 2024. This was Kimmich's fifth major tournament with Germany without winning a title. He will now go on vacation with his family.
Read sourceNew Details: Why Joshua Kimmich Stayed So Long at the Team Hotel After World Cup Exit
After Germany's early World Cup exit against Paraguay, captain Joshua Kimmich remained at the DFB team hotel 'Graylyn Estate' in Winston-Salem for about a day and a half after all other players had left. According to Spiegel and BILD, Kimmich repeatedly apologized to DFB staff for the early exit and asked if there was anything else he could do. Another key reason was his family: his wife Lina and their four children had traveled to New York and Boston for the matches and returned to Winston-Salem on the team plane at 1:10 AM. Kimmich did not want to rush his young children onto another flight immediately. Additionally, as captain, he felt it was his duty not to be the first to leave, mirroring former captain Ilkay Gündogan's behavior after Euro 2024. This was Kimmich's fifth major tournament without winning the title.
Read sourceJoshua Kimmich Last to Leave German Team Hotel After World Cup Exit
Following Germany's early World Cup elimination against Paraguay in the round of 32, captain Joshua Kimmich remained at the team hotel 'Graylyn Estate' in Winston-Salem for an additional day and a half, becoming the last player to depart. According to Spiegel, the Bayern Munich star repeatedly apologized to DFB staff for the elimination and asked if there was anything more he could do. This was Kimmich's fifth major tournament and third World Cup, all ending in disappointment: group stage exits in 2018 and 2022, and a penalty shootout loss in 2026. Kimmich stated he will not end his national team career and addressed fans on Instagram, saying the failure 'destroys' him. Under coach Julian Nagelsmann, Kimmich was deployed as a right-back rather than his preferred defensive midfield position.
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New Details: Why Joshua Kimmich Stayed So Long at the Team Hotel After World Cup Exit
After Germany's World Cup exit against Paraguay, captain Joshua Kimmich remained at the DFB team hotel 'Graylyn Estate' in Winston-Salem for about a day and a half, long after other players had left. According to BILD and Spiegel reports, Kimmich engaged in intensive discussions with DFB staff, repeatedly asking if there was anything else to be done, and apologized multiple times for the early exit. Another key reason was his family: his wife Lina and their four children had traveled to the US for the matches and returned to the hotel on the team plane at 1:10 AM after the Paraguay loss. Kimmich did not want to rush his young family onto another flight immediately. Additionally, as captain, he felt it was his duty not to be the first to leave, similar to former captain Ilkay Gündogan after Euro 2024. This was Kimmich's fifth major tournament with the national team without winning the title. He now plans to go on vacation with his family.
Read sourceJoshua Kimmich Last to Leave German Team Hotel After World Cup Exit
Following Germany's shock round-of-32 elimination against Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup, captain Joshua Kimmich remained at the team hotel 'Graylyn Estate' in Winston-Salem for an additional day and a half, becoming the last player to depart. According to Spiegel, the Bayern Munich star repeatedly apologized to DFB staff for the early exit and asked if there was anything more he could do. Kimmich, 31, described himself as 'empty' in an Instagram post and acknowledged the team's failure to represent Germany worthily. Despite the disappointment, he insisted he will not give up on his national team career. The elimination marked his third World Cup without a title, following group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022. Under coach Julian Nagelsmann, Kimmich was deployed at right-back rather than his preferred defensive midfield role.