Germany forward Lennart Karl will miss the 2026 World Cup due to a thigh injury.
The promising 18-year-old sustained the injury during Germany’s last training session prior to a friendly against co-hosts United States.
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In a recent friendly match, Bayern Munich’s Karl played a key role in Germany’s 4-0 victory over Finland, providing an assist for one of the goals. He will be replaced in the squad by Assan Ouedraogo from RB Leipzig.
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann expressed his disappointment, stating, “I feel incredibly sorry for Lenny. It’s a significant loss for both him and the team that he will not be participating in the World Cup. While it’s a small consolation that he is young and has many opportunities ahead, we would have loved to have him with us.”
He added, “With Assan Ouedraogo coming in, we are bringing in another highly talented player who started impressively with us. We expect him to play with bravery and freedom.”
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The upcoming match against the US is Germany’s final preparation before their World Cup opener against Curacao on June 14.
Nagelsmann’s team will also face Ivory Coast on June 20 and Ecuador on June 25.