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The Germany World Cup 2026 squad has been named, with huge names across the team.
Julian Nagelsmann's side eased to World Cup 2026 qualification with five wins from six and will have one of the strongest squads at the tournament, as one of the favourites, despite recent form in this competition.
It's been 12 years since Germany lifted the World Cup in Rio, and in the two tournaments since, they've not even progressed to the knockouts – yet there is hope that this group can compete for the trophy once more.
The sole survivor of 2014, Manuel Neuer, is now 40 years old and still between the sticks, though his regular deputy, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, isn't going to North America: it'll be Neuer's Bayern Munich colleague Joshua Kimmich that captains, however, with Die Roten represented by a whopping seven players.
Not all Bavaria-based ballers have gone, though, with Serge Gnabry perhaps the highest-profile omission, while Robert Andrich, Ridle Baku, Karim Adeyemi, Niclas Fullkrug and Kevin Schade are all missing, too.
Kai Havertz has made the squad just in time after an injury-plagued 18 months, Nick Woltemade has been named as one of three genuine centre-forward options despite a tough debut season on Tyneside, and there are plenty of genuine gamechangers in the likes of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Max Beier and Angelo Stiller.
18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl had got the nod, only for a muscle bundle tear in his left thigh suffered in training to see him replaced by RB Leipzig's Assan Ouedraogo. The Germans aren't exactly a dead cert for this tournament but it's probably the best position that they've been in heading into a tournament since they last won this one.
The Mood
‘Everything has an end; only the sausage has two’. An old German proverb springs to mind when considering the four-time world champions in 2026.
For the first time since 2014 World Cup glory in Brazil, Germany go into a major tournament without any veterans from that triumph. Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan all retired from international duty (Kroos, from club football as well) after Euro 2024, taking their 320 combined caps with them and leaving Julian Nagelsmann’s boys strangely light on experience.
That seemed to have taken a toll when Germany lost their opening qualifier 2-0 to Slovakia in September. The panic was short-lived. They regrouped, won their next four, then faced Slovakia again in a winner-takes-all finale and crushed them 6-0.
They achieved that largely without key figures in Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Antonio Rudiger and Jamal Musiala, who all had long-term injuries. While they’ll be available again this summer, a torn ACL means Emre Can won’t be. A lesser-known support cast must step up. One of those is Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who has inherited the tough follow-up act of replacing Neuer. Baumann, who turns 36 in June, fared well in qualifying but has large boots to fill.
Nagelsmann’s Germany still have plenty of star quality, from inspirational skipper Joshua Kimmich – playing at right–back again for his country – to the irrepressible Serge Gnabry. Musiala and Florian Wirtz are elite creators. The defence is solid, marshalled by an imposing Jonathan Tah. They have good options up top in Kai Havertz and Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade.
A manageable draw gives Germany a chance to build a head of steam ahead of the knockouts. They were written off ahead of Euro 2024, remember, only to win their opening fixture 5-1 and reach the quarter-finals, where they’d lose in the dying minutes of extra time to eventual winners Spain.
Of course, that was at home. This is in North America, where Germany famously struggled in 1994, and this time they’re arriving after chastening group-stage exits in consecutive World Cups. They can be confident of beating that, but a likely match-up with France in the last 16 looks tough for Germany – and mouth-watering for neutrals.
Squad
Germany World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection
- GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
- GK: Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim)
- GK: Alexander Nubel (VfB Stuttgart)
- DF: Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
- DF: Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich)
- DF: David Raum (RB Leipzig)
- DF: Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)
- DF: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund)
- DF: Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)
- DF: Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt)
- DF: Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund)
- MF: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
- MF: Leroy Sane (Galatasaray)
- MF: Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
- MF: Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
- MF: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
- MF: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
- MF: Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- MF: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz 05)
- MF: Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich)
- MF: Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart)
- MF: Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart)
- MF: Assan Ouedraogo (RB Leipzig)
- FW: Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
- FW: Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart)
- FW: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)
Fixtures and results
Fixtures
- June 14, 2026: Germany vs Curacao, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
- June 20, 2026: Germany vs Ivory Coast, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
- June 25, 2026: Ecuador vs Germany, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States
- September 24, 2026: Netherlands vs Germany, Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- September 27, 2026: Germany vs Greece, Germany
- October 1, 2026: Germany vs Serbia, Germany
- October 4, 2026: Greece vs Germany, Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece
- November 13, 2026: Serbia vs Germany, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia
- November 16, 2026: Germany vs Netherlands, Germany
Results
- June 6, 2026: United States 1-2 Germany, Soldier Field, Chicago, United States
- May 31, 2026: Germany 4-0 Finland, MEWA Arena, Mainz, Germany
- March 30, 2026: Germany 2-1 Ghana, MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
- March 27, 2026: Switzerland 3-4 Germany, St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland
- November 17, 2025: Germany 6-0 Slovakia, Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
- November 14, 2025: Luxembourg 0-4 Germany, Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
- October 13, 2025: Northern Ireland 1-0 Germany, Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- October 10, 2025: Germany 4-0 Luxembourg, Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany
- September 7, 2025: Germany 3-1 Northern Ireland, RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany
- September 4, 2025: Slovakia 2-0 Germany, Tehelne pole, Bratislava, Slovakia
- June 8, 2025: Germany 0-2 France, MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
- June 4, 2025: Germany 1-2 Portugal, Allianz Arean, Munich, Germany
- March 23, 2025: Germany 3-3 Italy, Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
- March 20, 2025: Italy 1-2 Germany, San Siro, Milan, Italy
Group E standings
Germany are in Group E at World Cup 2026.
Manager
Who is Germany's manager?
At 28, Julian Nagelsmann became the youngest manager in Bundesliga history when he took charge of Hoffenheim.
A staple of German football, Nagelsmann's style relies on gegenpressing when his team lose the ball. On the ball, his teams often try and dominate possession.
He is ranked at no.18 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, and will be looking to add to the three trophies he won with Bayern Munich in his two-year stint.
Germany's Star Player
Who is Germany's star player?
He may not have come to life in a Liverpool shirt just yet, but Florian Wirtz is still one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.
Ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best attacking midfielders in the world right now, Wirtz will undoubtedly find his form eventually, and when with Germany, he usually performs some of his best stuff.
However, Jamal Musiala has now returned to club action following a nasty injury last summer, so Wirtz is set to have plenty of competition heading into this summer's tournament.
Best XI
