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MAINZ, GERMANY - MAY 31: Jamal Musiala of Germany celebrates the team's fourth goal with teammates Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz during the International Friendly match between Germany and Finland at MEWA Arena on May 31, 2026 in Mainz, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Germany advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, but the loss to Ecuador in the final group match sparked concerns that Germany was ill-prepared for a deep run in the tournament.
Those concerns would ring true after the Germans were ousted from the tourney by Paraguay on penalties. Former World Cup winner Toni Kroos feared an early exit from the World Cup for the national soccer team unless two conditions were met — and clearly they were not.
“It has to be a dream to play against us—we need to be able to defend well and make life difficult for our opponents. We’re not doing that,” Kroos stressed on his World Cup show with his brother Felix (via Sky Sports Germany). “We need Musiala and Wirtz in top form—which we don’t have right now. If neither of these things changes, it won’t last much longer.”
As it turned out, it did not.
There is no doubt that Musiala and Wirtz are two of Germany’s brightest talents, but one is coming off a lengthy injury and the other is coming off a disastrous club season. Both players are knocked out of rhythm and so far, Julian Nagelsmann has been unable to get them to click, nor has he provided stability at the national team.
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