After Germany’s failure at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, just about every former player and pundit made a statement on the tournament. While there was a variety of responses, mostly negative, one stood out among the rest. That of course, was Mats Hummels’, who held nothing back in a very candit response calling for serious change from the DFB.
“This is not a coincidence. On the side of the people in charge, this really does call for consequences. I can’t put it any other way. We’ve now had the Euros at
home, the Nations League at home, and this World Cup here. Looking back, I still think the performances at the Euros are being talked up too much from a sporting perspective. The other two tournaments were both disappointing. That’s why this has to be addressed. Both by the national team coach himself and by the federation. At the very least, there have to be discussions about it – there is no other way. Football is a results-oriented sport. As for the players, I can certainly imagine that some will choose to retire from international football on their own. And then perhaps decisions also need to be made regarding players who may only be in their early 30s, but who have already missed the opportunity at four, five, or six tournaments to deliver a strong campaign or achieve good results for Germany,” Hummels said on MagentaTV as captured by @iMiaSanMia.
Big words from the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich defender. While he wasn’t shy with what he said, he was absolutely correct. After so many failures now, something big has to change within the DFB as well as the players.
You don’t have to read hard between the lines to infer that players such as Leroy Sané, Leon Goretzka, and others are being recommended to retire from the national team at this point. Despite their quality, they simply have not delivered enough after several tournaments to still be trusted at this point.
It is time to give the keys to Lennart Karl, Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Jonas Urbig and the rest of the young talent for a true rebirth.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- New, improved notifications system!
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
