Germany's decision to participate in "political demonstrations" in Qatar, according to Arsene Wenger, may have contributed to their early exit from the World Cup.

Germany failed to bounce back from a shocking 2-1 loss to the Samurai Blue on matchday one, exiting the group stage for the second time in a row as Japan and Spain advanced.

Before the match, Germany's players protested FIFA's decision to forbid captain Manuel Neuer from donning the OneLove armband, which was meant to spread a message against discrimination in Qatar, where homosexuality is prohibited. The players covered their mouths in the team photo.

A statement from the team said "denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice", but some – most notably Belgium winger Eden Hazard – claimed the protest may have distracted Germany's players.

Wenger, the head of FIFA's Technical Study Group for the tournament, agreed with that suggestion, saying: "When you go to a World Cup, you know you can't lose the first game.

"The teams who have the experience to perform in tournaments like France and England played well in the first game.

"The teams who were mentally ready, with a mindset to focus on competition, and not the political demonstrations."

Speaking after the defeat to Japan, Germany coach Hansi Flick insisted his players were "not at all" distracted by their decision to take a stand on the OneLove debate.

Germany were one of several European teams to initially commit to wearing the armband, but each backed down ahead of the World Cup after facing the apparent threat of sporting sanctions.

We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard.

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) November 23, 2022