Next Thursday, national team manager Julian Nagelsmann will announce Germany's squad for the 2026 World Cup. Which names might make a surprise appearance in the line-up?
Next Thursday, national team manager Julian Nagelsmann will announce Germany 's squad for the 2026 World Cup. Which names might make a surprise appearance in the line-up?
"Most of the squad is, of course, already decided; I have 20 players firmly in mind, whilst for six others it's still a race down the home straight," said Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann during an early May information call for members of the National Team Fan Club. At that point, exactly two weeks remained before the official announcement of the German World Cup squad on 21 May.
Nagelsmann has repeatedly stressed that the squad he picked for the friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana at the end of March will form the backbone of the World Cup party. Nevertheless, several players who were not involved in March can still hope for a place at the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. So who might those late contenders be?
Who has impressed in the final sprint for squad places, and which names could appear in the DFB squad as a complete surprise? Maximilian Beier - Surprise factor: 2/10 Like BVB colleague Karim Adeyemi, Maximilian Beier was left out of Nagelsmann's squad for the March internationals. Instead, the Germany coach picked Brentford's Kevin Schade and stressed that only one, or at most two, of the three pacy counter-attacking forwards would travel to the World Cup.
"One of the three, maybe two, will ultimately make the cut. But they all have the same chances. Kevin just has the advantage of showing what he can do for us right now. The others had that advantage before, though," explained Nagelsmann, who had last called up Beier for the October 2023 international break.
Beier has been the most prominent performer in recent weeks, so Nagelsmann is unlikely to overlook him—especially with Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry sidelined through injury, creating an additional opening in the World Cup attack. Beier has been performing consistently for BVB for months, enjoying a strong finish to the season on the left flank. With 20 direct goal contributions across all competitions , he leads his direct rivals in scoring.
On top of that, he covers every blade of grass, working at full throttle and showing total commitment, even when tracking back. These are precisely the qualities Nagelsmann prizes. At 32, Matthias Ginter is enjoying a second wind. As reliable as ever, the centre-back is having an outstanding season and has played a huge part in SC Freiburg reaching the Europa League final and having a good chance of qualifying for international competition once again.
Record Germany cap-holder Lothar Matthäus is among those backing Ginter for a World Cup spot, while former DFB star Max Kruse insists he must be "considered". Team-mate Igor Matanovic is even more direct: "As national coach, I'd definitely take him. The team's success speaks for itself, and he's been instrumental.
" Ginter revealed that Nagelsmann called him before the March internationals, only to postpone his return. Will the coach change his mind for the summer?
"As far as I've heard, nothing is final yet, so we'll see," the defender said. The 2014 World Cup winner, who did not feature in any matches at the tournament at the age of 20, would certainly have earned a World Cup call-up on merit following what is perhaps the best season of his career.
However, Nagelsmann has never selected him in his two-and-a-half years in charge so far; Ginter played the last of his 51 international matches to date in June 2023 under Hansi Flick. Nevertheless, his chances of reaching the World Cup squad remain slim. Nagelsmann is expected to grant four spots to established centre-backs Jonathan Tah, Nico Schlotterbeck, Antonio Rüdiger and Waldemar Anton. That leaves only the fifth and final defensive berth, which the coach awarded to Malick Thiaw in March.
What speaks in favour of the 24-year-old from Newcastle United, compared to Ginter, is not only that Nagelsmann has already called him up three times, but also that, at 24, he is eight years younger than the Freiburg player. Thiaw therefore has better prospects for the future, and Nagelsmann could also take him to the USA to learn the ropes with a view to the coming years.
A backdoor option remains if Nagelsmann needs a backup for Joshua Kimmich at right-back, a role Ginter has filled for Germany before. At 25, Yann Bisseck's youth and long-term potential give him an edge over Ginter in the DFB squad.
Nevertheless, Nagelsmann is expected to pick either Thiaw or Ginter for the No. 5 centre-back spot. Despite consistently strong performances for Inter Milan before the March internationals, he was left out of the squad. A three-week muscle injury then kept him sidelined, but he returned at the end of April, marking his comeback with a goal in Inter's 2-2 draw with Torino. As a regular for the Italian champions, Bisseck has a strong case for inclusion.
However, he has not been involved with the DFB squad since his first call-up in March 2025, when he made his international debut against Italy. A World Cup berth for Bisseck would therefore come as a surprise, even if his continued progress makes the case worth considering.
Getty Images SportWhen Nagelsmann first called up Said El Mala last November, but then, as planned, sent him back to the U21s after the first of two World Cup qualifiers, the national team coach emphasised: "He needs to iron out the issues over time so that he can become a first-team regular at Cologne.
" By "areas for improvement", he was referring above all to El Mala's occasionally unreliable defensive work, which was one of the reasons why the attacking gem had not yet made more starts for FC by that point. El Mala has now met Nagelsmann's demand from just under six months ago: the 19-year-old has become a regular at the club since Lukas Kwasniok's departure and has started nine consecutive Bundesliga matches.
In fine form, he has caused constant havoc and racked up seven goal contributions since late February. That return gives him a strong case to jump on the World Cup bandwagon after missing the March squad. Yet the competition up front remains fierce, even without Serge Gnabry. Leroy Sané, Lennart Karl, and Chris Führich—who joined the squad in March—are currently ranked ahead of him, as is Maxi Beier, who has been in superb form for BVB.
El Mala's inclusion therefore hinges on the depth Nagelsmann plans in other positions. El Mala has earned a place in the World Cup squad. His bold, fresh style would be a valuable addition to the German team, offering a game-changing option from the bench in tight matches.
Had Assan Ouedraogo not been sidelined by injury almost continuously from late November to late March, the talented RB Leipzig midfielder might not have been a surprise contender at all, but a fairly likely World Cup participant. Before picking up the first of two injuries, the 2023 U17 World and European champion had already earned a regular spot in RB Leipzig's starting line-up, delivering consistent performances that marked him out as a key player in the Bundesliga.
When Nadiem Amiri pulled out injured, Nagelsmann drafted Ouedraogo into the November World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia . The 20-year-old made his senior debut against the Slovaks, marking the occasion with a debut goal minutes after coming off the bench. He carried that momentum back to Leipzig, inspiring a 2-0 win over Werder Bremen and scoring another spectacular goal.
Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in that game, missed nearly two months, then re-injured himself immediately upon returning in mid-January. As a result, Ouedraogo missed the March international fixtures and only returned to action in early April. Since then, he has been gradually reintegrated into RB's starting XI, featuring in three of the last four matches. Will that be enough to secure a World Cup spot?
Nagelsmann is known to be a big admirer, and Ouedraogo's blend of first-class technique and dynamism could give the German midfield a vital boost. There is little doubt that the former Schalke man, whose game resembles that of Felix Nmecha, would earn a place in the World Cup squad. The final variable is how many central midfield spots Nagelsmann will protect. Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leon Goretzka, Pascal Groß and Nmecha—assuming he stays fit—are expected to travel.
Behind them, Nagelsmann picked Anton Stach in March, and after Nmecha's exit, Angelo Stiller moved up the pecking order. Ouedraogo's versatility—he can operate in the number six, eight or ten roles—could yet persuade Nagelsmann to include him ahead of either Stach or Stiller.
Niclas Füllkrug has been sidelined due to a persistent dip in form at West Ham and Milan; Tim Kleindienst has missed almost the entire season through injury; and Jonathan Burkardt has failed to make a convincing case for a return to the DFB squad in recent months. Should Julian Nagelsmann opt for a fourth centre-forward to join the almost certain World Cup travellers Deniz Undav, Nick Woltemade and Kai Havertz, Nicolo Tresoldi stands out as the most obvious candidate.
The Germany U21 international is enjoying a strong campaign at Club Brugge in Belgium, where he has already showcased his goalscoring ability in the Champions League, netting against the likes of FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid. Tresoldi remains in good form, is on course to win the Belgian league title with Brugge, and scored the crucial opener in last weekend's 2-0 win over St. Truiden.
A World Cup call-up for Tresoldi would still be a surprise: he was plying his trade in Germany's second tier with Hannover as recently as last season, and Nagelsmann has yet to call him up. The 21-year-old also has other attractive options for his senior international career: born in Italy to an Italian father, he could represent the Squadra Azzurra, while his Argentine mother makes him eligible for the reigning world champions.
On the other hand, a World Cup call-up could persuade him to commit to Germany, potentially making him a reliable No. 9 for the DFB side for years to come. If Julian Nagelsmann were to ask his former assistant coach, Sandro Wagner, about players who might not spring to mind at first glance but whom he could recommend, the former Augsburg manager might well think of Anton Kade.
Wagner had brought the attacking midfielder to FCA from FC Basel last summer and was delighted, remarking, "I was absolutely surprised that we were able to snap him up, because he's capable of so much.
" The former Augsburg boss wondered aloud why no bigger club had pursued the Germany Under-21 international. In terms of surprise value, Kade would rank alongside David Odonkor at the 2006 World Cup—a player few saw coming. The 22-year-old, who had already tasted Bundesliga action with youth club Hertha BSC at 18, has shown flashes of his considerable potential in his first full top-flight campaign.
In recent weeks he has driven Augsburg's strong run-in, repeatedly impressing with his pace and goal threat. His equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Frankfurt at the end of April and his brace in the 3-1 win at Bremen a week later speak for themselves. Off the pitch, Wagner praises Kade's eagerness to learn, team-first attitude and rare combination of maturity and humility.
Those qualities hint that he could thrive in a supporting role—perhaps limited to minutes from the bench—while still impressing Nagelsmann. The one obstacle is that the national coach has yet to observe Kade at close range, leaving him unable to judge how the Augsburg man would slot into his squad. With Said El Mala, Nagelsmann already has a clearer picture.
Maximilian Mittelstädt faces a straightforward reality: David Raum is certain to be picked for the World Cup squad, and coach Nagelsmann will choose either Nathaniel Brown or Mittelstädt as the second left-back. The trend clearly favours Frankfurt's Brown, who has been preferred to Mittelstädt for the past three squads and has taken the next step in his development at the club despite Eintracht's difficulties this season.
Mittelstädt, once a regular at left-back—including during the group stage of the 2024 European Championship on home soil—has not been selected since September. The Stuttgart defender last appeared for the DFB side in the bitter 0-2 World Cup qualifying defeat in Slovakia, where he was one of the few bright spots. Since then, he has not received another call-up.
His solid form for Stuttgart, who are chasing Champions League qualification and DFB-Pokal success, has not been enough to force Nagelsmann's hand, and another call-up now looks unlikely. Ridle Baku returned to the German national team in October 2025 after a four-year absence. The call-up was fully deserved: since his move from VfL Wolfsburg to Leipzig early that year, he had re-established himself as one of the Bundesliga's top right-backs.
Coach Nagelsmann gave him minutes in the autumn; in November, during the 2-0 win in Luxembourg, the Leipzig man even started. He repaid that faith with an assist, then came off the bench in the 6-0 rout of Slovakia and scored his second international goal.
Nevertheless, Nagelsmann left him out of the March friendlies, preferring Stuttgart's Josha Vagnoman as backup to Joshua Kimmich at right-back.
"Of course it was a bit disappointing not to be part of the last international fixtures," Baku told Bild in mid-April. "But there's no point in getting downhearted. I just wanted to carry on, work on the things I can still improve, and make it as difficult as possible for the national coach," Baku toldin mid-April, adding with confidence: "If you're a regular here, there aren't too many others who come into contention for the position.
" At club level, Baku has become indispensable for Leipzig, helping the Saxons secure six wins in their last seven Bundesliga matches. Because Vagnoman has recently been spending most of his time on Stuttgart's bench, Baku currently holds the upper hand in the race to back up Kimmich at right-back. A World Cup call-up for the 28-year-old would therefore come as no surprise—unless Nagelsmann opts to include Matthias Ginter as an alternative on the right side of defence.
For Freiburg manager Julian Schuster, Maximilian Eggestein embodies the term "indispensable". The central midfielder has completed the full 90 minutes in each of Freiburg's 33 Bundesliga outings this term and has started virtually every match across all competitions; he missed only the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Genk—a 1-0 loss—while serving a one-game suspension.
Pure durability does not guarantee a World Cup call-up, yet Eggestein's consistently high level of performance—and his central role in Freiburg's outstanding campaign—may still catch Nagelsmann's attention. With the final midfield spots still open, March call-up Anton Stach is only a borderline candidate, a role Eggestein could fill. Like Stach, Eggestein would gladly occupy a bench role, raising standards and intensity in training without complaint. Just as his club-mate Ginter would, Eggestein deserves a place at the World Cup.
Nevertheless, a World Cup call-up for the former Bremen man would still be a surprise, given that Nagelsmann has never picked him and he has no senior caps. Eggestein's only previous national-squad invitation came in March 2019 under Joachim Löw. He did not feature in the friendly against Serbia or the Euro qualifier against the Netherlands .
Please follow us on Google to support us J. Nagelsmann M. Beier M. Ginter S. El Mala T. Lemperle M. Mittelstaedt F. Ouedraogo Y. Bisseck N. Tresoldi
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