Germany failed to advance past the group stage in the last two World Cups, and the four-time champions are determined to turn that record around. Their qualifying campaign began with a stumble, an away loss to Slovakia, but they recovered to win all five of their remaining UEFA qualifiers. A decisive home victory over Slovakia ultimately sealed their place at the 2026 tournament.
The headline of Germany's squad announcement is the return of 40-year-old Manuel Neuer, who had retired from international duty after UEFA EURO 2024. He has reversed that decision and will travel to North America as the first-choice goalkeeper for what will be his fifth World Cup. Coach Julian Nagelsmann credited Neuer's strong season with Bayern Munich for the call-up. "We decided he was still one of the three best keepers in the country, so we got in touch and asked if he'd like to play for the national team again," Nagelsmann said. "Everyone knows about Manuel's aura and what he brings to the team, and we are planning for him to be our No. 1."
Joshua Kimmich will captain the side and is expected to anchor the team as its on-field leader. Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Nico Schlotterbeck are also tipped to be among the squad's most influential players. Jamal Musiala earned a place despite not featuring for Germany since early 2025 due to injury, with Nagelsmann saying the forward can "decide the outcome of games, even tournaments, with just a few moves."
Eighteen-year-old Lennart Karl was rewarded for an excellent season at Bayern with a call-up. Notable omissions include Karim Adeyemi, Robert Andrich, Niclas Füllkrug, Tom Bischof and Said El Mala, while Serge Gnabry misses out through injury. "Making a decision like this feels harder than the tournament itself," Nagelsmann admitted. "There were no dice involved, no drawing of lots. You discuss it for hours on end. I was mentally exhausted."
Germany have been drawn into Group E alongside Curaçao, Ecuador and Ivory Coast. Before the tournament, they will play two friendlies: against Finland in Mainz on May 31, and against the United States in Chicago on June 6. Die Mannschaft open their World Cup campaign on June 14 in Houston, Texas, at NRG Stadium, where they will face tournament debutants Curaçao. They then travel to Toronto on June 20 to take on Ivory Coast at BMO Field, before closing out the group stage on June 25 against Ecuador at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Germany 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim), Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart)
Defenders: Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Midfielders: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Nadiem Amiri (1. FSV Mainz), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart), Leroy Sané (Galatasaray), Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United), Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)
