Germany’s Nagelsmann Calls Up New Talent for World Cup Qualifiers

Germany’s national football team has welcomed three newcomers as coach Julian Nagelsmann announced the squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Among the fresh faces is Finn Dahmen, the goalkeeper from Augsburg, who received his first call-up. Joining him are fellow debutants Nnamdi Collins and Paul Nebel. The team aims to solidify its path to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Germany will begin its qualifying campaign with a match against Slovakia on September 4, 2023, before hosting Northern Ireland in Cologne three days later. The team is grouped with Luxembourg in Group A and is widely regarded as the favourite to progress to the tournament.

Dahmen’s selection comes as Germany faces challenges within its goalkeeper ranks. With Marc-André ter Stegen sidelined due to injury, Manuel Neuer having retired, and Bernd Leno opting out of a reserve role, Dahmen joins Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nuebel as the chosen keepers for the qualifiers.

Nagelsmann’s decision to omit Leroy Sane, who transferred from Bayern Munich to Turkey’s Galatasaray, has raised eyebrows. The coach emphasized that Sane must demonstrate his capabilities in the Turkish league before regaining a spot on the national team.

The squad features only two forwards: Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart and Niclas Fuellkrug from West Ham United. During a press conference, Nagelsmann acknowledged the absence of other potential candidates due to injuries but expressed confidence in the selected 23 players.

“We are convinced of the 23 we have chosen and we are banking on good games,” Nagelsmann stated. He underscored the importance of demonstrating dominance throughout the qualifying matches.

Germany has struggled in recent World Cups, failing to advance past the group stage in the last two tournaments. Nagelsmann stressed the need for the team to project confidence and control, stating, “We want to go through the games with dominance. That does not mean winning 5-0 every game but we want to play these games so as not to leave any doubt during the game.”

He further added, “A 1-0 can also be dominant. I want to see this full conviction. Not to say ‘we narrowly qualified to the World Cup and now we can start’ because then it will be too late.”

As Germany prepares for the qualifiers, the emphasis is on building a strong foundation for the future, with new talent looking to make an impact on the international stage. The upcoming matches will be crucial for the team’s development and their quest to reclaim their status as a football powerhouse.