Paired with deep runs this season by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen, Julian Nagelsmann’s first major tournament as the Germany manager was a positive step in the DFB’s quest to reassert the country’s status as an elite football nation. While the quarterfinal exit at the hands of Spain will sting for a bit, it’s clear that the national team is headed in the right direction after disappointing group stage exits in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Germany will have a decent amount of returning players but will need to replace a few legends in the process. Who will Nagelsmann plan to take with him to his first World Cup?
This article breaks down the contenders into four tiers:
- Tier 1: 80-100% chance to make the World Cup roster. Clear cut returners and likely starters that would require a major injury to be omitted from the squad.
- Tier 2: 50-80% chance to make the World Cup roster. Unless they’re dropped from their club’s starting XI for long stretches of time, these players should provide reliable squad depth.
- Tier 3: 20-50% chance to make the World Cup roster. These players will need to show improvement during qualifying and constantly be selected to their club’s starting XI, but will still need to fight for their spot.
- Tier 4: 0-20% chance to make the World Cup roster. These players will be retired or be clearly replaced by younger players over the next two years.
Tier 1: Guaranteed (8)
Joshua Kimmich (29), Jamal Musiala (21), Leroy Sané (28), Antonio Rüdiger (31), Florian Wirtz (21), Nico Schlotterbeck (24), Kai Havertz (25), Marc-André ter Stegen (32)
- Kimmich should expect to be named captain during qualifying and carry the title through the end of his career.
- Musiala was Germany’s leading scorer (3) at EURO 2024. He’ll be the best player on the team and Nagelsmann will continue to build tactics around his unique skill set.
- Sané has proven to be a world class player that baffles defender, but only when healthy. He’ll need to properly recover from this nagging pubic bone injury to get the most of the second half of his career.
- Rüdiger hasn’t shown any signs of aging. He played every minute of EURO 2024 and will lock down one of the center-back spots at the World Cup.
- Wirtz came out hot, but lost minutes as the tournament progressed. Another year under Xabi Alonso will be a crucial step for his development. If Wirtz can improve his partnership with Musiala (possibly through a move to Bayern next summer?), Germany’s attack will be greatly feared.
- Schlotterbeck will be two years wiser and the starting center-back next to Rüdiger. He’ll need to take his game to the next level, but he’ll definitely be on the team.
- Havertz had his best Premier League season with Arsenal FC, but was unable to translate his scoring success at this tournament. While Nagelsmann will search for a better scoring option, Havertz is too talented to leave off the squad.
- Ter Stegen has earned 40 international caps since 2012 but has never been able to overthrow Manuel Neuer, arguably the best goalkeeper of all time. Ter Stegen remains the undisputed starter at Barcelona, with a buyout clause of €500M.
Tier 2: Expected (8)
Aleksandar Pavlović (20), Jonathan Tah (28), Robert Andrich (29), Maximilian Mittelstädt (27), David Raum (26), Maximilian Beier (21), Robin Koch (27), Alexander Nübel (27)
- Pavlović was supposed to be on the EURO 2024 squad, but had to relinquish his spot due to tonsillitis. Pavlović looks poised to be become a non-benchable player at Bayern by the time the World Cup rolls around. It’s still a little too early to crown him the “king of the midfield”, but the sky’s the limit for Pavlović.
- Tah won his first Bundesliga title in May after nearly a decade with Leverkusen. He’s rumored to be on the move to Bayern and played well at EURO 2024. While the younger Schlotterbeck should supplant Tah as the starter, Tah’s experience will be invaluable.
- Andrich earned quality appearances in all five EURO 2024 matches and will get one more shot at a Germany trophy in 2026.
- Coming off the best season of his career at Stuttgart, Mittelstädt put in solid performances during the group stage.
- Raum was solid as usual and pushed Mittelstädt for playing time. It feels unlikely that either will lock down the lef- back position for good, but rather will complement each other in shifts.
- Beier was the odd man out at the forward position for Germany, but he was the leading scorer for Hoffenheim (16) this season. The youngster will be a viable option but will need to deliver during qualifying if he wants to earn playing time at the World Cup.
- Koch was only one of three players to not play at EURO 2024, and the other two were goalkeepers. But Koch was the ultimate professional and Nagelsmann singled out Koch’s team-first attitude. Koch is a great locker room guy and will be rewarded with a World Cup appearance.
- For what seems like his entire career, Nübel has been the heir apparent to Manuel Neuer at Bayern and for the German national team. With all three current goalkeepers over the age of thirty, it is finally time for Nübel to become a consistent selection for the next decade.
Tier 3: Borderline (12)
Manuel Neuer (38), Leon Goretzka (29), Niclas Füllkrug (31), Waldemar Anton (27), Chris Führich (26), Benjamin Henrichs (27), Deniz Undav (27), Malick Thiaw (22), Bernd Leno (32), Julian Brandt (28), Brajan Gruda (20), Rocca Reitz (22)
- Thinking of Neuer as anything but “the guy” feels a bit criminal. But at 40 years old, he should be retired by the World Cup, right? At the moment, it feels like Neuer’s health is the only thing that will prevent him from playing until he’s 60 years old. Hold out hope that the only remaining member of the 2014 winning squad has one more World Cup in him.
- Goretzka was distraught when he found out that he was left off the EURO 2024 squad. If Goretzka can channel this disappointment into two years of maximum effort, he’s got a decent chance at making the 2026 roster.
- Despite clamoring from Germany fans, Füllkrug was only a substitute at EURO 2024. Füllkrug will be a valuable piece of the puzzle throughout qualifying, but will be facing retirement concerns at the end of his contract with Dortmund in 2026.
- At the height of his career at Stuttgart, Anton found a way onto the squad for EURO 2024. He will be another bubble player in 2026 and might be a last-minute omission if a young up-and-comer can take his spot.
- Führich played a measly 19 minutes at left wing at EURO 2024. He was a key cog in Stuttgart’s season, delivering eight goals and seven assists. With some world class players way ahead of him on the depth chart, Führich might be asked to give up his roster spot.
- Six months ago, Henrichs probably felt much better about his prospects with the national team. Then Kimmich reverted to the reliable right-back position and yielded zero free minutes. Henrichs’ versatility at Leipzig is an asset, but with a 26-man squad he will struggle to make the cut again.
- Undav earned a reputation as a scoring machine at smaller clubs like Stuttgart, Brighton, and Union SG. But he’s only played 63 total minutes for Germany (two friendlies, one EURO match) and his future with the national team is murky at best.
- Thiaw is an interesting candidate. He’s shown great promise the past two seasons at AC Milan, but hasn’t stayed on Nagelsmann’s radar after appearances in three friendlies last year. If he can establish himself as a consistent starter for the Rossoneri, he could sneak on to the World Cup roster.
- Leno will never be a top five keeper in the world, but can be expected to be called upon if one of the choices ahead of him on the depth chart drops out due to injury or retirement.
- Brandt is a very reliable player, playing in eight friendlies with Germany last year. Depending on the holes in the 2026 squad, Brandt could prove useful.
- Gruda solidified his role in his first full season with Mainz’s senior team. Gruda is the youngest player here and will be fight for playing time at the World Cup.
- Similar to Gruda, Gladbach midfielder Reitz really found his footing in his first full Bundesliga season. He’ll need to continue to grow at this pace, but has the opportunity to play out a nice career as a role player for Germany.
Tier 4: Unlikely (10)
Thomas Müller (34), Serge Gnabry (28), Paul Wanner (18), Toni Kroos (34), İlkay Gündoğan (33), Emre Can (30), Pascal Groß (33), Oliver Baumann (34), Niklas Süle (28), Timo Werner (28)
- Müller’s 131 caps with Germany are only surpassed by fellow World Cup winners Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose, but there is speculation that this season could be his last. Servus, Thomas.
- Gnabry only logged 432 minutes this past season at Bayern and wasn’t really an option for EURO 2024. He’s got an arduous journey ahead to restore his career.
- Wanner is a great prospect, but will not earn his first Bundesliga start until this season while he’s on loan at Heidenheim. However, Wanner should be in contention for the 2030 squad that competes in the first tri-continent tournament, hosted by Spain, Argentina, Morocco, Portugal, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
- Kroos will hang up his boots this offseason, after an illustrious career and an overflowing trophy case. What a legend.
- Gündoğan served well as the team captain at EURO 2024. He can stay at FC Barcelona for another year or two, but it feels like he might be retired from international play by 2026.
- Can was a last minute addition after Pavlović dropped out of the squad with tonsillitis. Can is only 30, but his best years are behind him.
- Groß is a fan favorite at Brighton, but Father Time is undefeated and Groß is already in the twilight years of his career.
- Baumann has never actually appeared in a match for Germany, but has proven to be the token third option behind Neuer and ter Stegen. Baumann might earn the last roster spot in 2026, or it might be gifted to a younger goalkeeper.
- Süle has logged nearly 4,000 minutes for Germany over the years, including three starts at the 2022 World Cup. But Süle has burned some bridges over the years regarding his fitness concerns and doesn’t seem to be a player that Nagelsmann wants to use moving forward.
- Similar to Süle, Werner has played an insane amount of time for Germany. But Werner has visibly lost a step and hasn’t scored double-digit goals during any of the past five seasons.
Conclusion
Most of the players that Germany fans will see on the 2026 squad will be known, established players. There might be a few youngsters who can steal some minutes as a late substitute, but they don’t have much chance to snatch a starting spot.
Let’s hear from you! What’s your prediction for Germany’s starting XI at the 2026 World Cup?
Looking for more thoughts and analysis of Germany’s crushing 2-1 loss to Spain? We have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show. We have takes on Julian Nagelsmann’s controversial starting XI, a rundown of the scoring and substitutions, and ideas on how this all fell apart in front of an absolutely electric crowd. You can get the podcast on Spotify or below: