DUESSELDORF, Germany — The idea of a World Cup devoid of Germany seemed unimaginable. However, the four-time champions now find themselves needing to quickly regroup to secure their place in next year’s tournament.
A surprising 2-0 defeat against Slovakia during World Cup qualifying has put Julian Nagelsmann’s squad in a precarious position, necessitating flawless performance in the remaining fixtures, starting with mandatory victories against Luxembourg on Friday and Northern Ireland on Monday.
“People expect us to defeat every opponent by scores like 5-0 or 6-0, but that’s no longer a reality,” midfielder Nadiem Amiri remarked to the German agency dpa. “Times have changed; every team is good and can compete. Our focus is simply on winning—one victory at a time.”
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The qualifying system features a four-team group where only the group winner advances automatically, which means Germany must claim victory in all their remaining matches unless Slovakia falters, while also surpassing them in goal difference. Finishing second would send Germany into a competitive bracket with three other teams vying for a single spot early next year.
A historic failure could occur if Germany fails to qualify for the expanded 48-team World Cup. Until the recent loss in Slovakia, Germany had maintained an unbeaten record in away World Cup qualifiers. The only previous instances of them missing the men’s World Cup were the inaugural 1930 tournament, which they opted out of alongside most of Europe, and 1950, when they were banned following World War II.
However, even if they manage to qualify, Germany has had a mixed record in recent tournaments, suffering early exits in the group stages of both 2018 and 2022. While the squad boasted numerous world-class players, they struggled to function cohesively as a team. A peculiar motivational talk centered around a goose theme by then-coach Hansi Flick during the 2022 World Cup fell flat, encapsulating the overall lack of enthusiasm.
This streak has resulted in Germany not participating in a World Cup knockout match since their victory in the 2014 final.
Injuries have compounded their qualification challenges. Barcelona‘s Marc-André ter Stegen, who would otherwise be the first-choice goalkeeper, hasn’t played all year. Meanwhile, Real Madrid‘s Antonio Rüdiger is sidelined with a muscle injury, and Bayern Munich‘s talented attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala may not return until next year.
Nagelsmann is looking to create a strong partnership between Florian Wirtz and Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade. However, Wirtz has yet to regain his peak form since transferring from Liverpool, and Woltemade has been battling an illness that kept him from training on Wednesday.
All eyes are also on newcomer Nathaniel Brown, a left-back from Eintracht Frankfurt who is also eligible to represent the United States. Brown has the task of surpassing his Frankfurt teammate Nnamdi Collins, who was dropped after making critical mistakes on his debut during the loss to Slovakia.
Nagelsmann was also questioned Thursday about the possibility of Germany legend Thomas Müller joining his coaching staff if the team qualifies for next year’s World Cup. Müller retired from international play last year and recently signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS after departing Bayern Munich last summer.
“Thomas is certainly a candidate for such a role, but he has a contract until winter 2026,” Nagelsmann said. “From what I understand, their training is set to resume around June 26, 2026.”
“I doubt the [Vancouver] coach would be thrilled if Thomas says he’ll join a few weeks late because he wants to be an assistant coach.”
He continued: “I’ve spoken with him a few times, and he seems to be enjoying his time in Vancouver, scoring a lot of goals, and developing football there. He will likely want to continue this beyond the World Cup.”
“For that reason, I am inclined to believe he won’t take on a coaching role with me or any other coach this summer.”
Information from The Associated Press and PA was incorporated into this report.