World Cup opener against Curaçao
Nagelsmann talks about Musiala’s substitution
June 14, 2026 – 10:34 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Why was Jamal Musiala substituted after just over an hour despite scoring a goal? The national coach explains his decision – and has a special reason ready.
In Germany’s opening World Cup win against Curaçao, national coach Julian Nagelsmann replaced Jamal Musiala in the 64th minute – was the offensive player injured? Nagelsmann explained his decision on live TV after the game.
The 38-year-old gave the all-clear on ARD after the 7-1 win in Houston: “I didn’t replace him because of an injury.” It was “nothing bad” – even if Musiala stretched and grabbed his leg during the encounter. “It’s relatively normal for him to feel something muscularly.”
The Bayern professional protested during the change. Nagelsmann reported that Musiala asked him: “I’m still fit, why do I have to go down?” However, the coach consciously decided to do so – “because we also want to reward other players in the squad – like Deniz in this case now.” Substitute Deniz Undav from VfB Stuttgart also scored.