Kai Havertz says Germany's World Cup exit is akin to a "horror movie" after they were eliminated despite victory over Costa Rica.
The Chelsea forward's double was in vain as his team's 4-2 win was not enough to secure a knockout spot in Group E, with Japan's 2-1 triumph over Spain sending both nations through instead.
It marks the end of another dour World Cup adventure for Germany, who failed to keep a clean sheet for the 12th major tournament match in a row.
Havertz, who came off the bench to spark hope, acknowledged the pain and frustration of seeing his side come up short, despite playing all their cards in their final game.
"It is bitter for all of us," he stated. "We said at half-time that we shouldn't take it easy, that anything can happen. We didn't expect that to happen. It's like a horror movie.
"We saw the live table in the stadium, we recognised the situation from spectators and the reactions on the bench.
"There was still hope, because we assumed Spain would score another goal. Then we saw on the screen that their match was over, and that was it."
Germany's exit in Qatar marks the second successive World Cup where they have failed to get out of the group stages, and coupled with a last-16 loss at Euro 2020, makes for three tournaments on the bounce with poor results.
With the nation set to host European Championship in just over 18 months' time, Havertz understands the task of reigniting pride in their team will require a degree of soul-searching.
"If three tournaments in a row, you go out early, it makes you wonder what is going wrong," he added. "We need to change something. We are aware of that.
"When it counts, we didn't perform. We need to be honest with ourselves. Over the past five years, things haven't gone right, and it is our own fault. We are to blame."
Head coach Hansi Flick, in his first major tournament since succeeding Joachim Low, praised Havertz's contribution, but stressed his disappointment at their missed chances in Qatar.
"If I look at positives, Kai turned the game around," he added. "We can leave the pitch and go home with a victory. But if you look at the matches, it is our fault.
"We had chances against Spain and against Japan. You have to take them and score goals. There were lots of individual mistakes, and that is what makes me angry."
Aguirre returns for third stint as Mexico head coach
Mexico have appointed Javier Aguirre as their head coach for a third time after Jaime Lozano was sacked in the wake of their disappointing Copa America campaign.
Mexico finished third in Group B in the United States, only scoring once in their three group-stage matches as they finished behind Venezuela and Ecuador.
El Tri have now suffered three group-stage exits in their last four participations at the Copa America (also in 2011 and 2015), having reached at least the semi-finals at five of their first seven editions.
Lozano paid the price for their failure to reach the knockout stages as he was sacked less than a year after taking over, with the Mexican Football Federation saying he rejected the chance to stay on in a backroom role under a new boss.
Aguirre, who previously led the team between 2001 and 2002 and from 2009 to 2010, has returned for another stint, with Barcelona great Rafael Marquez as his assistant.
"Both are undisputed leaders with distinct personal styles," said national team director Duilio Davino.
"Aguirre is characterised by being a leader who guides and convinces his players and coaching staff through his vision and by creating bonds with his team.
"Rafa leads by example, supported by the fact that he was a high-performance footballer in Mexico and Europe."
Aguirre and Marquez will get the chance to lead their country on home soil at the 2026 World Cup, with Aguirre having previously overseen last-16 exits at the 2002 and 2010 tournaments.
He led Real Mallorca to the Copa del Rey final last season, only to lose on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao in April.
Rodri and Yamal among six Spain players named in UEFA's Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament
UEFA have announced their Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament, with Rodri and Lamine Yamal among six Spain players named in the star XI.
La Roja claimed their record-breaking fourth European Championship crown on Sunday, as Mikel Oyarzabal's late strike sealed a 2-1 victory over England in Berlin.
Luis de la Fuente's side won all seven of their matches, and their efforts have been recognised in UEFA's team of the tournament.
Rodri was named Player of the Tournament and Yamal scooped the Young Player award, while team-mate Dani Olmo edged a six-way tie in the race for the Golden Boot having also claimed two assists.
The trio are joined by Nico Williams, who opened the scoring in the final, along with Marc Cucurella and Fabian Ruiz.
France's duo of Mike Maignan and William Saliba have been included, as well as England defender Kyle Walker, whose Manchester City team-mate Manuel Akanji also gets the nod, with Germany's Jamal Musiala completing the line-up.
Opta's Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament: Spain dominate but Rodri a surprise omission
Spain dominate Opta's Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament after Sunday's 2-1 final victory over England, a result that clinched a record-breaking fourth European crown.
Five Roja players find themselves in Opta's stats-based XI, but they also contribute the most surprising omission, with Player of the Tournament Rodri missing out.
England only have one representative despite reaching their first tournament final on foreign soil, with Harry Kane's share of the Golden Boot and Jude Bellingham's stunning overhead kick versus Slovakia not enough to warrant a place.
Here, we run through those that did make the cut, highlighting a couple of standout stats for each player.
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia)
Georgia shot-stopper Mamardashvili conceded more goals than any other player at the tournament (eight), but four of those came in a last-16 defeat to the eventual champions, and he finds his way in between the sticks.
Starring as Georgia surprisingly escaped Group F, Mamardashvili made 30 saves and prevented 4.76 goals according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model – the best figure at the tournament.
Joshua Kimmich (Germany)
Germany were dumped out in the last eight by Spain, and winning their group via a last-gasp Niclas Fullkrug goal versus Switzerland may actually have harmed the hosts as they wound up on the more challenging side of the draw.
Kimmich was fielded at right-back by Julian Nagelsmann and was instrumental going forward. In fact, only Lamine Yamal (17) bettered his 16 chances created from open play in just five games.
Manuel Akanji (Switzerland)
Akanji's tournament ended in despair as he was denied by Jordan Pickford in Switzerland's quarter-final penalty shoot-out defeat to England, but he was crucial for one of the competition's best defences.
Switzerland faced just 2.4 shots on target per game at Euro 2024, fewer than any other side, and conceded less than one expected goal per game (0.95).
Marc Guehi (England)
England's lone representative is a man who most would have deemed unlikely to start before the tournament began, Crystal Palace centre-back Guehi.
In for the injured Harry Maguire, Guehi contested (29) and won (13) more aerial duels throughout the tournament than any other England player and completed 93.5% of his passes.
Marc Cucurella (Spain)
When Luis de la Fuente named Cucurella in Spain's starting lineup for their opening game versus Croatia, there were plenty left open-mouthed by the exclusion of Bayer Leverkusen star Alex Grimaldo.
However, just three defenders were involved in more open-play attacking sequences than Cucurella's 31, and it was his low cross that led to the tournament's decisive moment; Mikal Oyarzabal's 86th-minute final winner versus England.
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Kroos may not have enjoyed a dream send-off ahead of his retirement, but a series of metronomic midfield displays left many fans wishing he would extend his career.
He made the most line-breaking passes (141) of any player at the tournament, also completing 94.3% of his passes under pressure, the best rate of any player (minimum 100 passes attempted).
Fabian Ruiz (Spain)
Fabian contributed two goals and two assists throughout the tournament, his driving runs from midfield making him the perfect foil for enforcer Rodri and silky playmaker Dani Olmo.
No player won possession more often than the Paris Saint-Germain man (46 times), while he also recovered the ball seven times in the final third, setting the tone for De la Fuente's high press.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
The Young Player of the Tournament, Yamal recorded four assists to go with his semi-final stunner against France, with no player on record (since 1980) ever teeing up more goals at a single edition of the European Championships.
One day after his 17th birthday, he surpassed Pele (17 years, 239 days) as the youngest player to play in a Euros or World Cup final, and he made his mark despite some solid work from England left-back Luke Shaw, teeing up Nico Williams' 47th-minute opener.
Dani Olmo (Spain)
Olmo is entitled to feel a little miffed at UEFA's decision to share the Golden Boot between all six players that managed three goals. Under the old tie-breaking method, his two assists would have earned him the prize outright.
His most telling contribution, like that of Yamal, came in the last four, a sumptuous first touch setting him up to finish across Mike Maignan for Spain's winner.
Five goal involvements is the joint-most by a Spain player at a European Championship, along with David Silva in 2012, and all the more remarkable is the fact he only started three games.
Nico Williams (Spain)
The final Spanish representative, Williams opened the scoring in the final to become the second-youngest player to net in a Euros showpiece match (22 years, two days, behind Italy's Pietro Anastasi in 1968 at 20 years, 64 days).
Williams posted a higher expected assists (xA) total than any other player (2.06), and was La Roja's standout attacker when it mattered most against England.
Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
The Netherlands may have suffered 90th-minute heartbreak against England in the semi-finals, but it was largely thanks to Gakpo that they made it that far.
Only Olmo and Yamal (five each) bettered his four goal involvements (three goals, one assist) as he earned a share of the Golden Boot. Only Yamal (15) and Kylian Mbappe (11), meanwhile, bettered his 10 chances created following a ball carry.
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