Germany at the limit: Needs urgent victories to avoid the World Cup

Germany, a historical powerhouse in football, finds itself in a delicate situation. The possibility of the German national team missing the next World Cup is now a reality that must be avoided at all costs.

The Hard Road to Qualification

After the surprising 2-0 defeat against Slovakia in the qualifying phase, the team led by Julian Nagelsmann needs a perfect performance in the remaining matches. This implies crucial victories against Luxembourg on Friday and against Northern Ireland on Monday.

“Everyone expects us to beat every rival 5-0 or 6-0, but that’s no longer possible. Times have changed. Everyone is good, everyone can compete. For us, the important thing is to win. We need to win after winning.”

Nadiem Amiri

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The classification format, with a group of four teams where only the winner qualifies directly, forces Germany to win all their remaining matches, unless Slovakia stumbles, and to surpass Slovakia in goal difference. Second place would send Germany to a four-team play-off for a single spot.

A Historic Failure

If Germany fails to qualify for the 48-team World Cup, it would be a historic blow. The last time Germany did not participate in a World Cup was in 1950, after the Second World War, and in the inaugural tournament of 1930, which they renounced along with most European teams.

The failures in 2018 and 2022, with eliminations in the group stage, were major disappointments for a team with world-class players who failed to function as a unit.

Important Losses and New Bets

Injuries have complicated Germany’s situation. Marc-André ter Stegen, the starting goalkeeper if he were fit, hasn’t played all year. Antonio Rüdiger is injured and Jamal Musiala might not return until next year. Nagelsmann seems determined to form a partnership between Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, but Wirtz has not yet reached his best level and Woltemade has suffered a flu-like illness. In addition, there is anticipation regarding Nathaniel Brown, a left-back who is also eligible for the United States. Nagelsmann was also asked about the possibility of Thomas Müller joining his coaching staff if the team reached next year’s World Cup. “Thomas is definitely a candidate who could fill that position [but] he still has a contract until the winter of 2026,” Nagelsmann said. “I think the coach [of Vancouver] won’t be very enthusiastic when Thomas says I’ll arrive two or three weeks later because I still want to be an assistant coach.” Added: “I’ve spoken to him a couple of times, he thinks he’s doing very well in Vancouver at the moment, he’s playing well, scoring a lot of goals. He’s moving the football forward there and will want to do more beyond the World Cup. That’s why I’m going to risk saying that he won’t take on a role as assistant coach for me or any other coach this summer.”