Germany come into the FIFA World Cup eager to put group stage exits at the previous two World Cups behind them and forge a new path forward with a roster that is comprised of a mostly new generation of players.
This year, Germany’s roster is comprised of a solid talent pool which includes veteran leadership, tactical discipline and creative talent which they will look to leverage for a deep run at this World Cup.
Thirty-eight-year-old head coach Julian Nagelsmann discussed how his German team stack up against the competition heading into the big dance.
“I see us starting the tournament as Challengers rather than favorites. And that can be something positive for us.” – Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann
Do this edition of Germany have what it takes to make a deep run at the first World Cup held in North America since 1994? Let’s find out.
World Cup History
The history of Die Mannschaft which means “the team” in German, at the World Cup is rich. Germany have qualified for every World Cup they have entered in (21 out of 23) including 19 in a row and have progressed far on the world’s biggest stage more often than not, failing to make the quarterfinals just three times (1938, 2018 and 2022).
They have won the second-most world cups (four) in history behind only Brazil who have lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy five times.
Twelve years ago, Germany lifted the World Cup trophy most recently thanks to the performance of a great team led by starting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, attacking midfielder Thomas Muller and striker who holds the record for most World Cup goals (16) Miroslav Klose.
There’s a World Cup pedigree there that few nations have and that makes the expectations very high for Germany every time they play in a major tournament.
Germany’s Road to Qualification
Germany finished first in their group in UEFA qualifying but their campaign got off to a rocky start.
The Germans lost their opening match to Slovakia 2-0 on the road. It sounded alarms throughout Germany about whether this generation of players and the youngest head coach in Germany’s history was up to the task. Germany came back after that with a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland, which did little to calm the fanbase as they conceded to a team ranked 70th by FIFA.
Things settled down after that with Germany winning their last four qualifiers while not conceding a single goal.
Six of Germany’s 16 goals during qualifying came from set pieces, which illustrated that Die Mannschaft is very good at dead-ball situations. After top midfielder Jamal Musiala returned from a terrible leg injury suffered at the Club World Cup, Germany cruised to qualifying top of Group A repaying Slovakia with a 6-0 beatdown in their final qualifying game.
Germany is a Tournament Team
You don’t go to 13 World Cup semi finals without having a strong soccer tradition. That’s what Germany has. From players like Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer, Rudi Voller, and Jurgen Klinsmann from the more distant past to Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose, Germany has been blessed with some great players throughout the years.
Muller and Beckenbauer were the stars of the 1974 West German team that won the World Cup on home soil. Klinsmann and Voller helped the 1990 team lift the World Cup and Muller and Klose led the 2014 team to the promised land..
Germany have been contenders at major tournaments in the 21st century more often than not. Of the 13 major tournaments that have been held in the new millennium, the Germans have qualified for all of them and been to the semi-finals or better at seven of those tournaments.
Will the New German Generation Please Stand Up
In this article written by FIFA.com, Nagelsmann illustrated why he is hopeful Germany’s new generation can perform well at a World Cup. “[Young players who] are not burdened by poor performances at previous tournaments can go into a major tournament with a clear mind and show what they can do on the pitch.”
Eighteen-year-old Bayern Munich sensation, Lennart Karl was named to Germany’s initial world cup roster and supposed to be one of the faces of the German youth movement but had to be replaced due to an injury nine days before Germany’s opening match against Curacao.
Karl was replaced by Red Bull Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo whom Nagelsmann commented on by saying he “received extremely positive feedback from all the players after his training camp. He’s a very pleasant person with great abilities.” Ouedraogo endeared himself to his teammates by scoring the sixth and final goal in Germany’s 6-0 drubbing of Slovakia in their final world cup qualifier.
The German national team going to the 2026 World Cup is blessed with having Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz as its most talented players; two attacking midfielders who have proved they can produce offense in friendlies and qualifying but not yet at a World Cup.
Musiala is the engine of Germany’s attack; possessing great pace on and off the ball and capable of striking with the best in the world, the 23-year-old is still regaining his form after devastating leg and ankle injuries suffered in July 2025 at the Club World Cup. However, in friendlies for Germany and in regular season and Champions League games for Bayern Munich, Musiala looked back to his old self.
Musiala did start all three of Germany’s games at the previous World Cup, where he registered one assist, but for Wirtz this year will be his first taste of World Cup soccer. After a good qualifying campaign where he scored a goal and had two assists in six starts, Wirtz will be looking to put it all together in North America this summer for his country. I should also mention Leroy Sané is a skilled attacking midfielder who is the second-most capped player on Germany’s roster.
These three attacking-minded players are not the only bright spots on Germany’s roster. Germany also has a strong backline predicated on marking and tackling tight. The leader of the German backline is Bayern Munich center back, Jonathan Tah, who comes into the World Cup with 47 caps for Germany, but none yet at a World Cup.
Then there is Borussia Dortmund center back Nico Schlotterbeck who had five goals for the 1997 Champions League winners, Munich right-back Joshua Kimmich who represented Germany at the previous two World Cups and will be the team’s captain. Lastly, the projected starting left-back will be Red Bull Leipzig left-back David Raum but could also be 22-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt starter Nathaniel Brown. Schlotterbeck and Raum both played for Germany at the 2022 World Cup.
As for the defensive midfield, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka will patrol that part of the midfield—an important part of setting the tempo of the match and stopping the opposition’s momentum. Pavlovic is just 22 years old but has solidified himself over the last three years as one of the more reliable central midfielders in world soccer. Goretzka has been there done that before. He’s played for Germany at the previous two World Cups and with 70 caps is the third-most capped German player on Germany’s roster behind Leroy Sané (76) and Manuel Neuer (110).
Defensive midfielder Felix Nmecha and full back Nathaniel Brown are two young players who could earn minutes for Germany at this World Cup. Nmecha is a powerful, physical No. 6 who is proficient going forward and Brown is a solid two-way player with good pace.
The one weakness I see is they lack a dominant striker.
Three options they have are Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, a clever 6-foot-1 attacking midfielder by trade who has played for Arsenal and Germany as a number nine; Nick Woltemade, a 6-foot-6 behemoth who scored four goals for Germany during World Cup qualifying; And Woltemade’s complete opposite, 5-foot-10 striker Deniz Undav. Undav has risen through the ranks of lower division soccer before getting his first big break with Union St. Gilloise in Belgium’s Pro League A where he became top scorer in 2021-22. He finds himself in form having scored three goals in Germany’s last three friendlies before the World Cup and capable of being an impact substitute as is Woltemade.
As always with Germany, they have a talented deep squad but it’s all about how they perform together and that’s how they will be judged at this World Cup where they are supposed to make their return as contenders.
Concerns
The Youngest Manager in German History
The 38-year-old manager, Julian Nagelsmann comes into the World Cup as the youngest ever to lead a German side. This would normally be a concern but remember Jurgen Klinsmann was only 40 when he was hired to be the manager of Germany’s senior national team in 2004. Klinsmann went on to guide Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.
Before taking over the German national team, Nagelsmann guided TSG Hoffenheim to their highest ever finish (third place) in the Bundesliga in 2018. He then went on to manage Red Bull Leipzig who he took to the semifinals of the Champions League in 2019-20 before coaching one and a half seasons at Bayern Munich, who sacked him unceremoniously in March 2023.
Although he’s had great success with smaller clubs in Germany, he still has a chip on his shoulder left there by the Bayern Munich firing. It remains to be seen if Nagelsmann, who only has three years’ experience at managing the national team, can make the adjustments necessary game-to-game to help a squad that requires some rotation progress far at a World Cup. He’s proved his competency in club soccer but can he prove it on the grandest stage of all?
The Lack of an Outstanding Striker
Woltemade scored four goals during world cup qualifying but never showed himself to be an exceptional striker of the ball because he scored most of his goals on tap-ins and headers. He also lacks pace and is inconsistent in the air.
Undav is a clinical finisher who did it to the tune of 19 goals for VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga this season. But the 29-year-old lacks pace, which will make it hard for Germany to stretch the defensive line of the opposition when he or Woltemade are on the field.
Havertz is Germany’s best option at striker/center forward, but he is not a prolific goal scorer. He had six goals in 18 matches for Arsenal this season. However, Havertz has a very good track record for his country, having scored 22 goals for Germany over 58 appearances throughout his career. Havertz’s weaknesses include possessing a lean frame which doesn’t help him in duels for balls against physical defenders and having a lack of finishing range. The lack of finishing range refers to his tendency to rely on chipped shots and far-post placement when shooting, although he is good at timing runs in behind the defense and in the air. We will see if Germany truly miss Lennart Karl’s pace at this World Cup or not.
Key Players
Jamal Musiala
Musiala showed his quality and lethality by scoring three goals for Germany at Euro 2024. He is the engine of the team’s attack and will be invaluable at this World Cup as long as he is fully fit.
Florian Wirtz
The talented midfielder may be second fiddle to Musiala, but he is still very capable of producing offense whether it be setting up his teammates or scoring a wondergoal from distance like he did against Switzerland in March. Along with Musiala, he is the face of the new generation of German soccer.
Manuel Neuer
Neuer may be past his prime but he has still been very good for Bayern Munich domestically and needs to be rock solid if Germany are to make a deep run. His ability to set the tone by stepping out of the 18-yard box and making plays including but not limited to passing to his backline is a key attribute that he brings to the table as well.
Kai Havertz
The 27-year-old is Germany’s best threat on set pieces, adept at aerial duels and good at dragging markers away from his teammates, because opposing defenses have to respect his running and aerial ability.
Predicted Style of Play
According to Fotmob.com, Germany ranked second in average possession with 73.1 percent over six UEFA World Cup qualifying matches, ranking only behind England. Die Mannschaft also ranked highly in accurate passes per match, sitting fourth with 615.8.
Under Nagelsmann, Germany go forth in a 4-2-3-1 formation and rely heavily on possession but also on gegenpressing, which makes them a complex hybrid. They are capable of hemming opposition into their own half by both passing it amongst themselves high up the pitch and hounding the opponent without the ball. Players like Musiala, Wirtz, and Felix Nmecha are particularly good at pressing.
Prediction: Quarter-finals
Germany should have no issues getting out of Group E. They will face a team that is making their world cup debut in Curaçao in their opening match and should win comfortably. After that they face stiffer tests in Ivory Coast on June 20 in Toronto before hauling back to New Jersey and MetLife Stadium to face the toughest team they will face in the group stage, Ecuador.
Besides France, England and Spain, Germany are bringing the best roster out of any European team to the World Cup. I don’t think they’re getting through any of those three in the later stages but they will put up one heck of a fight and never count the Germans out of a penalty shootout, where they have a perfect 4-0 record in World Cups.
