Germany – one of the teams tipped to win the World Cup – dramatically crashed out of the Fifa World Cup despite their victory over Costa Rica at Al Bayt Stadium. 

Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 but Japan’s controversial 2-1 victory against Spain saw them go out on goal difference.

The four-time champions finished third in the group just above Costa Rica. 

It may go down as the most controversial World Cup game, as Japan’s winning goal was initially ruled out because officials believed the ball had gone out of play before the goal was scored, but VAR overturned the decision. 

Germany were in complete control and scored within 10 minutes, only for Costa Rica to flip the match on its head to raise the possibility of Spain also going out. 

Yeltsin Tejeda equalised after Germany keeper Manuel Neuer pushed out Kendall Waston’s header in the 58th minute, before Neuer was deemed to have the final touch for the second goal 12 minutes later when Juan Pablo Vargas bundled in from close range.

At that stage, Costa Rica were going through with Japan, and Spain were heading for the exit.

If it had happened it would have been one of the biggest – if not the biggest – upset in football’s history. And this World Cup has seen MANY shocks and upsets. 

But Germany substitute Kai Havertz slammed two goals – the first in the 73rd minute and then again at the 85th minute.  

Substitute Niclas Fullkrug came on to fire in the fourth and final goal. But it was no consolation as Germany failed to progress to the last 16 for a second time. 

The match made history as being the first all-female officiating team of a men’s World Cup game, with France’s Stephanie Frappart refereeing, joined by assistant referees Neuza Back from Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina from Mexico.

Shocking World Cup campaign for Germany 

The 2022 Qatar World Cup is now the second successive group-stage exit for Germany, and they only have themselves to blame. 

Their campaign got off to a bad start, they lost 2-1 to Japan in their first game and despite showing real character to draw 1-1 with Spain, the shocker of the first loss stopped them from fully recovering. 

Germany controlled the first 30 minutes with ease, Costa Rica were overpowered but Germany’s complacency gave them a chance to get into the game. 

Germany’s brilliant Jamal Musiala was the outstanding player of the game, he hit the post twice in the second half. This World Cup will likely be the end for the older generation of Germany’s team – goalkeeper Neuer and forward Thomas Muller, who were not great during the game. 

German media reacts – ‘A football dwarf’ 

The German media have reacted to Die Mannschaft’s early World Cup exit, the newspapers reaction make for a blunt read. 

It was a “winter nightmare” (Süddeutsche Zeitung), an “enormous embarrassment” (Bild), a “new low point” that revealed the four-times world champions to have shrunken into a “football dwarf” (Spiegel).