Criticism after the start of the World Cup
Rüdiger defends his DFB colleague – “Nothing wrong with it”
June 18, 2026 – 12:58 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
After Felix Nmecha’s prayer circle, Antonio Rüdiger made it clear: Religious beliefs are not an issue in the DFB team. In general, he has a clear opinion about criticism on social networks.
With a plea for freedom of expression and religion, Antonio Rüdiger defended his teammate Felix Nmecha against criticism of his prayer after the World Cup opening game against Curaçao. The national team defender also criticized the click-focused social media culture in professional football.
“It’s something personal. He did it and I don’t see anything wrong with it,” said Rüdiger to the prayer circle that Nmecha formed with Jonathan Tah and opponents after the 7-1 win for the DFB team.
- World Cup 2026: All information in the news blog
- Felix Nmecha: His faith always provokes criticism
The scene in Houston’s World Cup stadium sparked different comments. Nmecha often speaks publicly about his Christian faith and personal views. In the past, his social media posts had sparked criticism several times. Rüdiger said they were “beautiful pictures”.
“More important was his great performance”
For him, the scene was exaggerated by the media. “Well, to be honest, more of an issue was his great performance,” said the 33-year-old. Nmecha gave the DFB team the lead with his first World Cup goal. Rüdiger assured that the Dortmund player’s religious beliefs were not an issue in the DFB team.
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The Real Madrid defender has come under criticism several times for his Muslim faith. Other Internet comments were repeatedly directed against his controversial behavior on the pitch. Rüdiger now only acknowledges his role as a supposed villain.
“My name generates a lot of clicks”
“To be honest, I don’t know why that is. As I said, for me, in the social media world, I’m the bogeyman. That’s okay for me too,” said the Berliner. “I always welcome serious criticism,” he assured.
