The greatest sporting spectacle in the world has officially come and gone.
The 2026 World Cup raked in a record $15 billion in total revenue for FIFA. Corporate greed aside, the tournament once again gripped the globe, uniting billions of viewers across a month-long fever dream of tactical masterclasses, agonizing heartbreak, and unscripted euphoria. To that, I say thank you.
More importantly for us, though, the world’s biggest stage served as the ultimate pressure cooker for Borussia Dortmund. Between
penalty shootout heroics, brutal injury setbacks, and unexpected storylines, BVB’s international contingent left an indelible mark on North America.
So, before we turn our attention back to the Westfalenstadion, let’s take a clear-eyed look at whose stock skyrocketed under the global spotlight—and who returns to Dortmund with something left to prove.
All stats courtesy of FotMob. Salary and player values are from Capology and Transfermarkt respectively – take them with a grain of salt.
STOCK UP
Gregor Kobel, Switzerland
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 6
- Minutes played: 360
- Goal conceded: 6
- Clean sheets: 2
- xGOT faced (expected goals to concede): 9.04
- Saves: 20
Tournament Summary: Stepping out of the massive international shadow of Yann Sommer, Kobel’s first tournament as Switzerland’s undisputed No. 1 was historic. He carried the Rossocrociati to their first World Cup quarter-final in 72 years. His defining moment came in the Round of 16 PK shootout against Colombia, with crucial saves that carried the Swiss through. Even in the 3-1 quarter-final exit to Argentina, he stood tall under an absolute barrage in extra time.
The BVB Impact: Huge win for Dortmund. Kobel already had the reputation of being one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga, but executing it under global pressure changes a player’s aura. He returns to Dortmund not just as a great shot-stopper, but as a proven leader who can anchor a defense in the highest-stakes environments. Kobel gives Niko Kovac a genuine world-class foundation for the upcoming season. Kobel has 2 years and €18,120,000 remaining on his contract with Dortmund, expiring on Jun 30, 2028. The 28 year old, will earn an Estimated Gross Fixed Salary of €9,060,000 for the 2026-2027 Season, or €174,231 per week, excluding bonuses. His transfer market value has risen to €40.00m, tied for the 3rd highest of any GK in the world – alongside Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen and Porto’s Diogo Costa. Needless to say, Kobel has further cemented his status as Dortmund’s indispensable anchor rather than just transfer bait.
Felix Nmecha, Germany
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 4 (starting 4)
- Minutes played: 272
- Goals: 1
- Assists: 1
- Shots: 8
- Successful passes: 127
- Tackles: 13
Tournament Summary: It was a tale of two World Cup’s for Nmecha. Two great games. Two duds. At times showcasing his box-to-box midfield abilities against Curacao and Ivory Coast, then seemingly fading into the background against Ecuador and Paraguay, when it mattered most. The 25-year-old German scored against Curaçao and assisted against the Ivory Coast, which proved to be the winner in the latter match. Nmecha completely shed the “injury doubt” label after suffering a torn lateral ligament in his knee in March, to become one of Germany’s most proactive sparks in the group stage. While the injury could likely be contributed to his struggles, it certainly raises questions about his fitness and consistency heading into the preseason.
The BVB Impact: Nmecha’s rollercoaster World Cup experience can be viewed as so many things. At his best, his performances were garnering the attention from several suitors, such as: Bayern, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, amongst others. At his worst, getting either overrun or overshadowed in the midfield. His market value is hovering around €50.00m. He has 4 years and €32,080,000 remaining on his contract. IF the #8 for Dortmund can be anywhere near 100% during throughout the season, he’s going to one of the most important pieces at the Signal Iduna or potentially a transfer lever that the front office will look to capitalize on. Much like the World Cup, consistency will be key.
Marcel Sabitzer, Austria
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 4 (starting 4)
- Minutes played: 360
- Goals: 1
- Successful passes: 91
- Tackles: 5
Tournament Summary: In terms of which way the stock is pointing, this one might be contentions. The 32-year old didn’t have some explosive breakout that would inflate his price. But sometimes consistency is key and since he didn’t hurt his standing, for me his arrow is slightly upward. Captaining his country in all four matches, playing virtually every minute of Austria’s campaign. Scoring a crucial goal in the thrilling 3-3 draw against Algeria to help guide Austria out of Group J, Sabitzer fought valiantly in the Round of 32, Austria ultimately ran into the World Champions – Spain.
The BVB Impact: While the tournament didn’t necessarily “spike” Sabitzer’s transfer value, it reaffirmed his elite engine. He only has 1 year and €7,510,000 remaining on his contract. Sabitzer is recovering from a calf injury, forcing the Dortmund midfielder to miss the club’s pre-season tour of Japan. If Kovac can manage his minutes initially coming back, and Sabitzer continues to perform well throughout the Bundesliga campaign, he could provide not only a reliable mid-field piece, but potential transfer value for BVB’s Sporting Director Ole Book. Last winter, Sabitzer was linked with Besiktas. Building off the World Cup and another solid season could provide decent transfer value for Book and co.
Before we dive into the rest of the stocks, let’s call an official FIFA-mandated hydration break. Grab some water, stretch your legs, and step away from the screen—because unlike FIFA, we won’t charge you three times the regular price for a bottle of water during this pause!
NEUTRAL
Julian Ryerson, Norway
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 6 (starting 4)
- Minutes played: 226
- Successful passes: 113
- Successful crosses: 8
- Tackles: 11
- Duels won: 14
Tournament Summary: Ryerson was a vital catalyst for a historic Norwegian side that knocked out Brazil and Ivory Coast. Dubbed “not normal” by his national team coach Ståle Solbakken due to his unmatched work ethic, he locked down some of the tournament’s most lethal wingers like Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. Ryerson’s reoccuring thigh injury forced him to miss two full games and sub off in the 60th minute in Norway’s quarterfinal clash against England.
The BVB Impact: Dortmund know they possess an elite, modern fullback with standard-setting intensity. The only minor wrinkle is fitness. Blessing in disguise?
You could make the argument that a fully fit Ryerson, serving up “The Terminator” Erling Haaland all tournament long would have had suitors galore. Ryerson is expected to return to team training by early August. At 28 years old, Ryerson has 2 years and €10,000,000 remaining on his contract and a market value of €25.00m. Again, the question is health, and if it’s there that value will only go up.
Ramy Bensebaini, Algeria
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 4 (starting 4)
- Minutes played: 360
- Successful passes: 361
- Successful crosses: 8
- Tackles: 11
- Duels won: 22
Tournament Summary: Bensebaini was the defensive heartbeat of an Algerian side that navigated a tough Group J. He put on a gritty defensive display to bounce back from a tough opening loss against Argentina, helping secure his side a spot in the round of 32, falling at the hands of the Swiss and Borussia teammate Kobel. Bensebaini could hardly be blamed, consistently marshaling the backline under heavy pressure.
The BVB Impact: Bensebaini did exactly what a club wants from an established, veteran defender at a major tournament: he was highly reliable, played every single minute, and anchored his defense well. He proved his fitness and left-sided defensive reliability after previous injury-disrupted stretches at club level. As a defensive asset, he can comfortably slot into a back-four or a back-three system depending on how Dortmund wants to rotate their defense. His contract is up next year, with €4,510,000 remaining.
Grab a bottle of water and take another breather. And yes, feel free to ignore the six corporate sponsor banners lining the margins of this page while you sip.
STOCK DOWN
Nico Schlotterbeck, Germany
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 2 (starting 2)
- Minutes played: 135
- Goal: 1
- Successful passes: 109
- Shot: 2
- Tackles: 3
- Duels won: 11
- Interceptions: 5
Tournament Summary: Bad injury luck, rather than poor form. Schlotterbeck entered the tournament expected to be Julian Nagelsmann’s starting centerpiece in defense for Germany, but his campaign was tragically cut short early in the group stage coming off against Ivory Coast in the 45th minute. Schlotterbeck got off to a dream start, scoring in Germany’s 7-1 opening win against Curaçao. However, disaster struck in the very next match against Côte d’Ivoire. Despite courageously playing through the pain until halftime, Schlotterbeck suffered a severe ligament tear in his left ankle, forcing him out for the remainder of the World Cup. Though Nagelsmann praised his immense off-field leadership as he stayed with the squad, losing his starting spot to injury on football’s biggest stage was a devastating blow.
The BVB Impact: This is the most concerning setback for Dortmund’s pre-season preparations. Schlotterbeck isn’t just a starter; he is a key build-up passer and defensive anchor of Kovac’s tactical setup. While his individual quality is undeniable, missing vital tournament minutes and undergoing ankle rehabilitation means he faces a race against time to be fully fit for the start of the Bundesliga season. Mid-September is what it’s looking like before he returns, at least. However, if there is a spin zone to this, his summer transfer market movement has cooled significantly. Before the aforementioned injury, Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid—had placed him on their shortlist— but have shifted their focus to other targets. Schlotterbeck’s release clause of €50 million, was also to be rumored to only be open to a select few non-German teams, with a deadline to be exercised of “mid-July” and it has passed per a report from Sky Germany. Needless to say, Dortmund will need to manage his rehabilitation with extreme caution.
Daniel Svensson, Sweden
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 3 (starting 1)
- Minutes played: 98
- Successful passes: 31
- Successful crosses: 2
- Shot: 1
- Tackles: 3
- Duels won: 3
Tournament Summary: While Svensson entered the tournament on the back of a very promising club campaign with BVB, his World Cup campaign with Sweden was defined by limited action in the group stage followed by a tough tactical assignment in the knockout rounds against France. It’s downright unfair to expect anyone to handle the likes of Kylian Mbappe, but that’s what Svensson was tasked with in his lone start, deployed on the right flank as an improvised wing-back rather than his usual left-sided role at BVB.
The BVB Impact: From a Dortmund perspective, this was a classic “system misfire” Svensson showed great versatility and tactical discipline across his first full year in the Bundesliga, but being played out of position against world-class wingers on the highest stage highlighted his current limitations against elite pace. At only 24, his market value still has lots of growth potential (€22.00m). He returns to Dortmund needing a reset in pre-season, where Kovac will look to restore his confidence in his natural left-back and midfield roles.
Carney Chukwuemeka, Austria
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 4 (starting 0)
- Minutes played: 81
- Successful passes: 26
- Shot: 2
- Successful dribbles: 0/4
- Tackles: 3
- Duels won: 3/11
Tournament Summary: After switching his national allegiance from England to Austria with high expectations of taking on a sizable role under Ralf Rangnick, Chukwuemeka was relegated to a peripheral squad figure. He failed to start a single match, logging fewer than 90 total minutes across Austria’s four-game run. When brought on at halftime in the Round of 32 clash with Spain to spark an offensive comeback, he struggled to impose his physical presence or technical quality on the match as Austria drifted out of the tournament in a limp 3-0 defeat. Few can fault him – or anyone else – given La Roja’s dominant title-winning run, but the 22-year-old had a chance to ignite his team as a spark plug, but seemingly never lit.
The BVB Impact: This tournament did nothing to answer the primary club concerns surrounding Chukwuemeka: match sharpness, consistency, and tactical fit. Instead of using the World Cup as a launching pad to prove he can command a regular starting spot at club level, he returns to the Westfalenstadion as an unproven quantity with 4 years and €24,000,000 remaining on his contract. Rather than returning with peak momentum, he now faces an uphill battle in pre-season within a crowded BVB midfield.
Waldemar Anton, Germany
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 2 (starting 0)
- Minutes played: 48
- Successful passes: 29
- Shots: 1
- Tackles: 2
- Duels won: 2/5
Tournament Summary: Two things can be true. Yes you’d fancy Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rudiger as the central back pairing for the Germans after Schlotterbeck went down. But you’d also figure Anton would play more minutes after said injury. Maybe that’s a Nagelsmann thing. Maybe that’s a “Germany weren’t good enough offensively, minus one game” thing. Regardless, registering just 48 total minutes across two late-game relief appearances, Anton failed to make a case for himself on the world stage.
The BVB Impact: While he returns physically healthy, Anton enters BVB’s pre-season lacking match rhythm. Instead of returning as an empowered national team fixture, Anton faces immediate pressure to once again prove that he can reliably anchor Dortmund’s backline.
Maximilian Beier, Germany
World Cup Stat Line:
- Matches: 1 (starting 0)
- Minutes played: 26
- Successful passes: 4
- Shots: 0
- Successful dribbles: 0/1
- Tackles: 0
- Duels won: 2/4
Tournament Summary: Coming off a strong club season where he delivered 11 goals and 8 assists in all competitions for BVB, Beier arrived at the tournament expecting to be a secret weapon off the bench in attack for Nationalelf. Instead, was a mere afterthought amongst the bevy of attacking options.
The BVB Impact: This is a clear case of lost momentum. Beier entered the summer with a rising valuation and buzz following his display in the Bundesliga. Leaving the World Cup with just 26 minutes of total action means his global profile failed to take the leap that some anticipated. While he returns to Dortmund physically fresh, he’ll look to restore his confidence during pre-season after a month spent almost entirely on the sidelines.
Your Thoughts
If you enjoyed the World Cup coverage and want to revisit how players performed in each match, check out the round-ups below!
Dortmund World Cup Round Up:
Dortmund World Cup Roundup: Week of 7/6-7/12
Dortmund World Cup Roundup: Week of 6/29-7/5
Dortmund World Cup Roundup: Week of June 22-28 + Fast Facts about Germany
