With Germany bounced out of the World Cup after a devastating defeat to Paraguay in the Round of 32, it might be time for relook how Germany are lining up after the tournament. Germany will be back in action against the Netherlands and Serbia in September and with a possible manager change in the coming days, we might see a very different squad the next time Die Mannschaft hits the pitch.
Attack: Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Lennart Karl
This was supposed to be the attack for the World Cup this summer, and there is no reason why it couldn’t continue
after 2026. Wirtz and Musiala are the superstars of this team, despite disappointing at the World Cup, and they are still the best hope at turning around this team in the future.
The more contested spot will be striker where Havertz, Denis Undav, and Nick Woltemade will surely still be battling it out for a role over the coming months. Havertz was the favorite under Julian Nagelsmann, but with his exit looking more and more likely by the day, perhaps Woltemade will secure a transfer to a team where he is better utilized and steal the spot for himself. While the oldest of the bunch, Denis Undav is still only 29 years old, and could easily play a major role as well.
Said El Mala and Lennart Karl are absolute stars for the future and they will likely both make significant contributions to the team as well.
Midfield: Aleksander Pavlović, Felix Nmecha
While there are compelling arguments for players such as Felix Nmecha, Angelo Stiller, and the up-and-comer, Kennet Eichhorn, I predict a midfield of Aleksander Pavlović and Felix Nmecha to return. Pavlović is an easy choice as he is the key midfielder in the current German squad at a young age, with a lot of years left in the tank.
While Nmecha is currently the favorite in 2026, Tom Bischof might have other plans in the coming months. The Bayern Munich talent is due for a much larger role with Bayern Munich next season, and with the talent he has already shown, it is certainly not unthinkable that he could bunny-hop over other players such as Nmecha or Stiller to play a key role at the EUROs in two years time.
Defense: Nathaniel Brown, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Joshua Kimmich
This was incredibly difficult to predict. Nathaniel Brown and Nico Schlotterbeck felt like easy picks based on their current roles with the squad and many years left to come, they will likely be mainstays for the national team for the foreseeable future. However, the RCB and RB positions aren’t so clear.
Will Jonathan Tah be surpassed by a younger centre-back? It is plausible that the young Stuttgart star Finn Jeltsch will overtake Jonathan Tah as the right centre-back by 2028, but for now, that spot is deservedly Tah’s. Honorable mentions made to David Raum, Waldemar Anton, and Malick Thiaw.
For now, the backline will likely remain the same unless a new manager is brought in and moves Joshua Kimmich to his more familiar position in midfield.
Goalkeeper: Jonas Urbig
This is perhaps the most easy position to predict. After the World Cup, Neuer retired from the national team once again. Besides Neuer, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Oliver Baumann are getting older, and it is the perfect time to hand off the torch to the next generation.
Urbig is already getting looks from Nagelsmann and it seems like a matter of time before it is Urbig’s position. Noah Atubolu would be a more than capable choice, but it is likely that a new manager would lean on the younger generation rather than bringing back aging veterans.
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