Nagelsmann’s DFB squad: Stiller should replace Pavlovic

Nomination for World Cup endurance tests

This article appeared on Transfermarkt in its first version on March 19th. was subsequently updated due to the personality of Angelo Stiller.

National coach Julian Nagelsmann has announced the squad for the German national team’s first international matches in the World Cup year. The two Bayern professionals Lennart Karl and Jonas Urbig will be there for the first time. The 18-year-old Karl was previously the most valuable German non-national player, Urbig is the second most valuable goalkeeper with a German passport at 15 million euros.

Update March 22nd, 7:59 p.m.: Because Bayern professional Aleksandar Pavlovic (21) will not be available due to hip flexor pain, national coach Nagelsmann has nominated Angelo Stiller (24) from VfB Stuttgart, according to “Bild”. An official confirmation is still pending.

Four months after the encouraging 6-0 win against Slovakia, the DFB team will play against Switzerland in Basel on March 27th and against Ghana in Stuttgart three days later. Both opponents are also qualified for the World Cup finals starting on June 11th in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Germany’s group opponents in the XL tournament with 48 teams are Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

Nagelsmann nominated 26 players, as many as are allowed at the World Cup. For the most part, these are the players who were also there in the World Cup qualification. There will be no major changes to the team until the tournament, as Nagelsmann had already announced in advance. “The squad will be very similar to the one we want to travel to the World Cup with,” said Nagelsmann in the “Kicker” interview.

After a break, Kai Havertz, Antonio Rüdiger and Deniz Undav, who recently made some headlines, return. Anton Stach, Josha Vagnoman and Pascal Groß are also comebackers and surprises in the squad. Stach last played for the DFB team in 2022, Vagnoman in 2023. After his return to Brighton, Groß was now able to recommend himself for a place in the team again.

Nagelsmann will have to be patient with Jamal Musiala, who has had to take another break since Bayern’s round of 16 first leg in the Champions League due to a pain reaction to his left foot after surgery.

The squad is led by captain Joshua Kimmich. Oliver Baumann goes into the World Cup year as the number one goalkeeper. The 35-year-old was a placeholder for Marc-André ter Stegen in the World Cup qualification. After his renewed injury, the Hoffenheim player is now likely to be included in the national coach’s World Cup plans as a tournament goalkeeper if he stays fit. The third goalkeeper alongside Baumann and Urbig is Alexander Nübel.

“When nominating for the March international matches, it was important to us that the core of the team remained and could continue to find each other. We would also like to take a look at players who we don’t know that well yet in this structure and give them the chance to present themselves. At the same time, those who are not there this time still have the chance to make it into the World Cup squad. Because this squad will be similar to the one at the World Cup, but it is not yet a World Cup nomination,” explained Nagelsmann.

However, Said El Mala, who is on call and will be nominated for the U21, Maximilian Beier and Maximilian Mittelstädt are not there. The chances of a World Cup ticket for Robert Andrich and Niclas Füllkrug, from whom the national coach recently demanded a better goal rate at AC Milan, have also decreased. Karim Adeyemi was also sorted out for the time being.

World Cup squad: decision in May

On Monday, Nagelsmann will gather his current squad for the test games at their headquarters in Herzogenaurach. The 38-year-old will nominate his provisional World Cup squad in the week before the last Bundesliga matchday (May 16). The final World Cup squad of a maximum of 26 players must be reported to FIFA in the first days of June.

The final round begins for Germany on June 14th (7 p.m./CEST) in Houston against Curaçao. The other opponents in the group stage are Ivory Coast in Toronto on June 20th (10 p.m./CEST) and Ecuador in East Rutherford on June 25th (10 p.m./CEST).