DFB team under pressure early on
Every goal is important against Luxembourg
Updated 10/09/2025 – 11:42 amReading time: 2 minutes
The German national team is the clear favorite against Luxembourg. A clear victory would be very important for the DFB team.
A win is a must – but it’s about more than that: When Germany meets Luxembourg in Sinsheim on Friday evening, Julian Nagelsmann’s team won’t just get three points. In the long-distance duel for the direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup, every single goal may ultimately count in the fight for first place in qualifying group A.
Unlike the European Championships and the Nations League, in FIFA qualification it is not the direct comparison that decides the placement of teams with the same points, but rather the goal difference – this is stated in point 11, paragraph 5 of the regulations for the World Cup qualification for North America.
This means: If the German national team wins their second leg against Slovakia in November with a one-goal difference, that could be enough – if the overall goal difference after six games is better than that of Slovakia. Conversely, even a clear win would have no value if Slovakia did better overall.
Slovakia currently leads the group (6 points/3:0 goals), followed by Northern Ireland (3 points/4:4 goals) and Germany (3 points/3:3 goals). The direct comparison is pushed into the background by FIFA regulations. The decisive factors are the goal difference and, in the event of a tie, the number of goals scored.
Luxembourg is considered the weakest opponent in the group – although the Slovaks had trouble winning 1-0 in the first leg. The DFB selection could make up ground in the race for the better goal difference with a clearer win. Slovakia competes in Northern Ireland at the same time. Germany will also be a guest there on Monday.
The German team also emphasized that the game against Luxembourg will not be a sure-fire success.
“Everyone expects us to beat every opponent 5-0, 6-0. But that’s no longer possible. Times have simply changed. Everyone is good, everyone can hold their own. For us it’s simply important to win. We need win after win,” said Nadiem Amiri, goalscorer in the 3-1 win against Northern Ireland.