Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann is facing mounting pressure over his future following the national team's disappointing exit from the FIFA World Cup, prompting the German Football Federation (DFB) to convene a special three-hour review meeting at its headquarters on Thursday.

The 38-year-old manager met with senior federation officials to explain the team's tactical shortcomings and address issues regarding the squad's atmosphere at their training base in Winston-Salem.

The high-level crisis talks come in the wake of Monday's dramatic round of 16 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, which marked a devastating third consecutive early World Cup exit for the four-time world champions.

Germany had entered the tournament with high expectations of reclaiming the title, but after defeating tournament debutants Curaçao and narrowly overcoming Ivory Coast, they suffered a group-stage loss to Ecuador before ultimately being eliminated by Paraguay.

Nagelsmann has come under intense fire from critics and German media for inconsistent team selection, questionable tactical decisions, his handling of underperforming players, and volatile public communication.

The post-match penalty shootout also drew severe scrutiny following reports that multiple players explicitly declined captain Joshua Kimmich's request to step up and take spot kicks.

Defender Jonathan Tah eventually volunteered but ultimately missed the decisive penalty. Expressing his thoughts on social media, Tah stated that he had repeatedly replayed the missed penalty in his mind but insisted he would not hesitate to take the responsibility again.

Although Nagelsmann declared immediately after the elimination that he fully intended to remain in charge, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf later countered that the federation would carefully assess why the team failed to fulfill its potential and would not simply resume normal operations after such a disappointing campaign.

While Nagelsmann remains under contract until the 2028 European Championship, reports in Germany suggest federation officials have actively urged him to consider stepping down voluntarily, with a final decision on his future expected in the coming days.

With Inputs from UNB