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Kimmich last to leave German team hotel after fifth major tournament exit
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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.
Source report
It was as if he did not want to accept the early World Cup exit. Joshua Kimmich (31) was the last to leave the German hotel "Graylyn Estate," the DFB quarters in Winston-Salem. According to a report by Spiegel, the captain of the German national team stayed for another day and a half after the bitter elimination against Paraguay before he too departed as the last player.
According to Spiegel, the Bayern star could not and did not want to simply say goodbye and go on vacation — not after everything that had happened. Following weak performances on the pitch and inconsistencies within the team, Kimmich is said to have exchanged words with DFB staff, asking if there was anything else to be done. He is also reported to have "apologized repeatedly for the elimination." An exemplary captain.
For Kimmich, this was his fifth major tournament and his third World Cup. He has not won a title. His World Cup record: catastrophic.
- In Russia 2018 and in Qatar 2022, the DFB team failed in the group stage.
- At the current World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, the team was eliminated in the round of 32 against Paraguay (4–5 after penalties).
Immediately after the elimination, Kimmich made it clear that this was not the end of his national team career and possibly not his last World Cup: "I will always have the power for another attempt. What I will never do is give up."
Two days after the exit, the Bayern player addressed German fans via Instagram:
"I am just empty right now and I don't feel like reaching out at all. But it's part of it to face these situations as well. Together we planned to play a very successful World Cup, to represent Germany worthily, and to make a small contribution to a positive development in our country. And we failed. Once again. And that destroys me."
Under national coach Julian Nagelsmann (38), Kimmich had to play as a right-back and not in his actual desired position in defensive midfield.
Source: BILD, July 16, 2026
Source
BILD - SportWestern
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Germany Captain Kimmich Last to Leave Hotel After World Cup Exit