Germany captain Kimmich rules out resignation after World Cup exit

Germany's national football captain, Joshua Kimmich, has stated he will not resign from the team following their shocking elimination from the World Cup. The Bayern Munich player expressed his continued commitment, vowing to "always have the power for a new attempt" and refusing to give up.

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I will always have the power for a new attempt. What I will never do is: Give up

Kimmich reflected on the team's performance after their unexpected defeat in the round of 16 against Paraguay. He acknowledged the disappointment of not fulfilling the goal to make Germany proud, especially during a time when the country could benefit from a source of pride. "The national team is unfortunately not it right now," he said.

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It is true that one competes here and wants to make Germany proud. As a child, I remember finals or semifinals for the DFB team. We want to give that to the current generation too.

Taking full responsibility, Kimmich emphasized that the players on the field were the ones who "messed it up." He explicitly stated that neither the coach, the media, nor the referees were to blame, but solely the players. This sentiment underscores the deep disappointment within the squad after failing to advance.

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The fact is that we could not give that to all the people at home. That is very, very a shame. Especially at a time when I think it would do us a lot of good in Germany if we had something to be proud of. The national team is unfortunately not it right now.

This World Cup exit marks Germany's third consecutive major tournament disappointment, following their group stage failures in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. The team's inability to reach the round of 16 in this expanded 48-team tournament highlights a significant downturn in their international standing.

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For that, we all bear responsibility and for that we must also take responsibility. No one should exempt themselves from that. We have to stand by that. Because we players, who are on the field, have messed it up. It was not the coach, not the media, not the referee. It was solely and exclusively us.