Nagelsmann names 26-man squad for Germany’s 2026 World Cup campaign

German head coach Julian Nagelsmann announced the national team’s 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 21 May 2026. Joshua Kimmich has been named captain, leading a group that features the return of 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and the World Cup debut of Liverpool forward Florian Wirtz.

The team has been drawn in Group E alongside Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ecuador. Germany qualified for the tournament with five wins from six matches and reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, where they lost to Spain.

The squad selection includes a mix of experienced leadership and emerging talent. Wirtz joins the side following his move to Liverpool, while midfielder Jamal Musiala returns from a serious injury. Nagelsmann has reported that Musiala is operating at approximately 95 per cent fitness, describing the pair as a dangerous attacking partnership capable of breaking through defences.

Defensive concerns remain a focal point for the coaching staff. The article notes that space behind the full-backs remains a vulnerability, a weakness that contributed to Germany’s group-stage exits in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Additionally, striker Niclas Füllkrug was omitted from the squad after scoring only once for AC Milan in Serie A, leaving Kai Havertz as the likely primary attacking option.

Germany, who won the World Cup in 2014, enter the tournament as four-time champions but are viewed as underachievers in recent years. The squad is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic forming the double pivot. While the group stage is considered a manageable task, the knockout rounds will test the team’s resilience against top-tier opposition.