Obviously, Germany’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup was always going to include some very controversial omissions, like every other World Cup year.
Still, that does not soften the blow for the unfortunate players who missed out by a hair. The VfB Stuttgart duo of winger Chris Fürich and left back Maximilian Mittelstädt are two such players. The twosome made the cut for manager Julian Nagelsmann’s first Germany tournament during the European Championship in 2024 and Mittelstädt even began the tournament as
the starting left-back.
Despite maintaining their steady performance levels since 2024 and even taking some steps forward, they failed to make the cut for the 2026 World Cup. Their exclusion was so difficult that Nagelsmann did not even bother to find a reason for it.
“Chris and Maxi have made good steps in the second half of the season, that’s absolutely right. They are among the absolute tough cases,” the former Bayern Munich coach admitted (as captured by Bild’s Stuttgart-based reporter Felix Arnold). “That makes me extremely sorry for the two of them.”
Perhaps the decision was not one against them but for the competition. At left-back, David Raum is one of Nagelsmann’s captains and Nathaniel Brown offers the flexibility to play in both full-back positions. Meanwhile, Germany has forwards of the ilk of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Jamie Leweling, and more. Perhaps Führich will look at his club form, compare it with Leroy Sané and make a rightful case that he should have been included, but he does not specialize on the right like the former Schalke 04 winger.
In any case, their exclusion truly is a harsh one.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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