Nagelsmann lifts lid on Germany squad plans
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann shares some thoughts on how his squad is taking shape for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Nagelsmann is grappling with some selection headaches
Reveals that March squad will be similar to his World Cup roster
Germany take on Switzerland and Ghana in friendlies at the end of this month
Germany will get their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign under way against Curaçao in Houston in just over three months’ time, but before then, they will play four warm-up games across two international windows to allow head coach Julian Nagelsmann to finalise his squad for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
While key players such as Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich are all but assured of their seats on the plane, the coach will have to make some tough decisions elsewhere. In an interview with kicker, the 38-year-old emphasised that he is focusing not just on form, but also on how well those currently on the fringes would integrate into the overall squad structure.
“It’s about who fits together,” he said. “I can already say that there will be some decisions that may be baffling for the players, and for the public too. There may well be some regular starters and key performers at club level who will not be first-choice players for us.”
Nagelsmann will use the friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana at the end of the month to fine-tune his plans and hold important discussions with some players. He revealed that he expects this month’s squad to be “not too dissimilar” to the one that will travel to the World Cup.
For the former Bayern boss, every player needs to accept the role earmarked for them and do whatever is asked of them. “Ultimately, every player has to make an earnest commitment, first of all verbally,” he said. “But they will also have to show us [at the friendlies in March] that they will be true to their word and put themselves at the service of the team. I know from experience that not everyone can do that.”
One player seemingly destined for a key role, despite a lack of regular playing time at club level, is Leon Goretzka. “As things stand, Leon has a good chance of playing, and in a similar role to the one he had in the World Cup qualifiers, even though he is not featuring so much at Bayern,” explained Nagelsmann. “He’s such a powerful player, someone who can also drive into the penalty area and is good in the air.”
Someone else who has found regular action hard to come by this season is Cologne youngster Said El Mala, who received his first international call-up in November. Nagelsmann, however, emphasised that “it does make a difference whether you’re at Bayern or Cologne”, and that El Mala needs to feature more for Effzeh if he hopes to make the final cut.
“He is only playing 50% of the time [for Cologne]; that’s not enough,” said Nagelsmann, who believes that El Mala, despite his undeniable talent, is often only used off the bench because he “[needs to understand that he] also needs to work hard defensively”.
Germany’s head honcho, however, is more relaxed when it comes to the game time being handed to some of Bayern’s more inexperienced players, saying, “I think you have to assess Tom Bischof, Lennart Karl and Aleks Pavlovic a little differently because Bayern have far more squad depth than Cologne”.
There is still a dilemma up front too, and it is a debate that is likely to rage on as the World Cup draws ever closer. Nick Woltemade’s form has dropped off after his blistering start to life at Newcastle United, Niclas Fullkrug has only one goal to his name all season, and Tim Kleindienst has been sidelined with a knee injury since December. “That’s a conundrum we still have to solve,” admitted Nagelsmann.“We’ll certainly take a striker who can shake things up aerially if we need a goal and are struggling to break teams down.”
Despite his ongoing drought (no league goals this year), Woltemade seems to fit the bill and stands a good chance of getting the nod as an option off the bench. “I told him last week that he should stay calm,” added the tactician. “We have faith in him.”
The Germany coach will announce his squad for the friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana on 19 March, and his selection will, by his own admission, set the tone for the World Cup and give fans and players alike some clarity on who is likely to be bound for North America come June.