National coach Julian Nagelsmann has announced his squad for the qualification games for the 2026 World Cup against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.
Julian Nagelsmann does not use Niclas Füllkrug for the World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and in Northern Ireland. Maximilian Mittelstädt and Pascal Groß were not nominated by the national coach after the disappointing start to the elimination round for the 2026 tournament. In addition to the returnee and hope of Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund, Nagelsmann was the only newcomer to Frankfurter Nathaniel Brown. The 22-year-old replaces the Stuttgart Mittelstädt as an option for the left wing in the 24-player contingent.
The squad at a glance:
- Goal: Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim), Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg), Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart).
- Defense: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Ridle Baku (RB Leipzig), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (FC Bayern Munich).
- Midfield: Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (1. FSV Mainz 05), Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (FC Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern Munich), Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlović (FC Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (FC Liverpool).
- Attack: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Burkardt (Eintracht Frankfurt), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United).
Back are the recently not taken into account Aleksandar Pavlovic from FC Bayern Munich, Felix Nmecha from Borussia Dortmund and the Frankfurter Jonathan Burkardt (25), who was nominated for the attack with Maximilian Beier (22) and Nick Woltemade (23). Surprisingly, Leipzig’s right full-back Ridle Baku also gets a chance in the DFB selection after a long time. Nagelsmann has to do without the injured regulars Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Marc-André Ter Stegen and Antonio Rüdiger. Leroy Sané received no invitation again, who has to prove himself in his new club Galatasaray Istanbul, according to Nagelsmann. As the third goalkeeper behind Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim) and Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart), the Augsburger Finn Dahmen was preferred to Noah Atubolu from SC Freiburg.
Nagelsmann: “Two victories are the goal”
“Two victories – this is our clear goal to continue to achieve the World Cup qualification directly. Even if we still have to do without some players, we are convinced: Our squad has the quality to make it better than last”, Nagelsmann said according to a DFB announcement.
Nagelsmann will gather his squad next Monday in the regular district in Herzogenaurach. On October 10th, Luxembourg’s table in Sinsheim is the opponent, on October 13th there will be a second leg against Northern Ireland in Belfast. The DFB-Elf is under pressure before the third and fourth of a total of six games in the elimination round for the 2026 World Cup. As the first group, Slovakia is three points ahead of Northern Ireland, like Germany, has three points. Only the group winner gets the direct tournament ticket.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann
Play important for the World Cup draw too
Germany can hardly afford slips for direct qualifications, but also with a view to the draw of the final round of the 2026 World Cup. After the two World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland, the German team only took twelve there. Only the best nine qualified teams in the world rankings are located in the draw of the 2026 World Cup on December 5th in Washington DC together with the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada in Lost pot 1.
The German international Nick Woltemade (VL) Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Tah after the defeat in Slovakia
If the German team slides in Lostopf 2, opponents such as Argentina, Spain, England, Brazil or France are already possible in the group phase. In the ranking, Spain took first place from Argentina, and France also passed the current world champion. Lost pot 3 would only threaten if 21 qualified teams are better placed than the German, the host countries are not counted.
After the first two games, however, the German team is also at least an option for the German team to complete their qualification group as a group winner. If she does not do this and only becomes second in a group, a detour via the playoffs would be necessary. There she could make up for the qualification if necessary. However, the Lost pot 4 would be the result for the German team – the placement in the world rankings no longer matters.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
10.10. | Luxembourg (H) |
13.10. | Northern Ireland (A) |
14.11. | Luxembourg (A) |
17.11. | Slovakia (H) |
30.03. | Ivory coast (H) |
May 31. | Finland (H) |
*More games have not yet been set
Performed players, expensive stadium plans – Germany’s opponents in political debates
Germany will play against Luxembourg in Sinsheim on October 10th. The team is in a sporty and structural crisis. Jeff Strasser took over the coaching position in August, but lost the first two World Cup qualis games against Northern Ireland (1: 3) and Slovakia (0: 1). The Association of Healing Gerson Rodrigues also concerns the association. The player had been convicted of domestic violence, but should be appointed further. The association rejected criticism, but later refrained from the player.
The Luxembourg national player Gerson Rodrigues
On October 13, the German team will play in Windsor Park in Belfast near Northern Ireland. The country should actually be a co-host of the EM 2028, but the tournament is now only aligned by England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Because the Windsor Park, in which the German team will play, is too small for the European Championship with 18,500 places, in which the smallest stadiums have to offer at least 30,000 people. An originally planned and agreed new building did not come about for financial reasons and political disputes.