After a thrilling Group E final on Thursday, Japan and Spain advanced, and Joshua Kimmich referred to Germany's devastating World Cup departure as the worst moment of his career.

Hansi Flick's team kept their half of the deal with a 4-2 victory over Costa Rica in their penultimate match, knowing that a victory would likely advance them to the round of 16 if Japan were to lose to Spain.

However, Japan mounted a dramatic comeback to defeat La Roja, ensuring they emerged as a surprise group winner and ruining Germany's hopes of winning a sixth World Cup. Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka scored in the process.

Kimmich is devastated because Germany has now failed to go past the group stage at two World Cups in a row after doing so on each of their previous 16 visits at the competition.

"For me personally, this is the worst day of my career. I'm afraid I'll fall into a hole," Kimmich told reporters. "It makes you think these failures are connected to my person.

"This is definitely the most difficult day of my career for me. The second time being eliminated at a World Cup, in between we had the Euros, where we were eliminated early.

"That is bitter and there have been many missed opportunities within the last four years."

Germany reached the semi-finals of Kimmich's first major tournament at Euro 2016, but they have since fallen at the first hurdle at two World Cups and suffered a last-16 defeat to England at Euro 2020.

Costa Rica briefly took a surprise lead when Manuel Neuer put through his own net with 20 minutes remaining on Thursday, and Germany have now gone 12 major tournament games without a clean sheet (World Cup/Euros) – their longest ever streak.

Kimmich's fellow midfielder Ilkay Gundogan hit out at Die Nationalmannschaft's defending as he called on his team-mates to reflect on their shortcomings.

"We concede goals too easily, we lose balls too easily and up front we miss goalscoring chances too easily," Gundogan said.

"Of course, as Germany, we have to have different aspirations, so we have to take a good look at ourselves.

"We just didn't manage to do our best as a group, or maybe individually. We have to question what the reasons were and everyone has to look in the mirror and tell themselves that it wasn't enough."

It's all over. We're out 😞

We did what we had to tonight, but over the three games, it wasn't enough.#GER #FIFAWorldCup #CRCGER pic.twitter.com/jzXQhE9OgH

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) December 1, 2022