Havertz hungry for more with Germany | Feature | News

Kai Havertz’s Germany take on Paraguay in the first knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and our forward is relishing the opportunity to lead his side’s attack in such a big game.

Always a man for the big occasion, Kai is looking forward to taking to the pitch this evening in Boston, as Germany look to progress to the last 16 for the first time since 2014, when they went on to win the tournament.

“This will be my first knockout match in a World Cup,” he told the media, “I like these big occasions and I feel comfortable in this context.

“I hope to keep going (further in the tournament); for that, you have to work hard and believe in yourselves.”

A 2-1 defeat to Ecuador in their third and final group game saw Germany criticised as they struggled to create chances against a deep-sitting opponent.

But Kai is confident he and his fellow forwards can re-discover the form that saw them thrash Curacao 7-1 in their opening game, with Kai himself netting two of the seven.

“We talk a lot about what can work better and what we need to improve. The three of us (himself, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala) know ourselves that we haven’t fully shown what we’re capable of up front yet. We have to take responsibility for that.

“It takes a bit of time because everyone comes from their clubs to the national team and you have to get used to your teammates. When you are in a major tournament, people talk (but) I don’t care what people say, we are focused on ourselves.”

Opponents Paraguay improved significantly as the group stages went on. After losing 4-1 to hosts USA in their opening game, the South American side kept back-to-back clean sheets, beating Turkey 1-0 before playing out a goalless draw with Australia to progress as one of the eight best third-place teams.

Germany will face a tough task breaking their opponents down, but Kai is confident it’s a challenge his side can overcome as they hunt a fifth world title.

“They have quality; aggression and intensity are what define them. We need a good performance, and we’ll be better tomorrow.

“I like big matches, matches on the biggest stage. We are fully convinced we can win.”