Germany clinched top spot in Group A and a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ after recording a 6-0 victory over Slovakia on the final matchday of European qualifying. As the section winners, the four-time champions side earn a direct ticket to the finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
A draw in Leipzig would have been enough to secure qualification, but after a patchy performance in Friday’s win against Luxembourg, Germany had something to put right – and did so thanks to a brace from Leroy Sane and goals from Nick Woltemade, Serge Gnabry, Ridle Bote Baku and Assan Ouedraogo.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann and his men have a straightforward task at hand next year: rebuild Germany’s World Cup reputation after back-to-back group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022.
Riding the momentum of an impressive UEFA EURO 2024 campaign on home soil, they entered this World Cup cycle with renewed belief, despite losing four seasoned leaders in Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and İlkay Gundogan to international retirement. The UEFA Nations League group phase brought steady progress, followed by a quarter-final win over Italy, before the summer delivered a trio of setbacks.
Defeats to Portugal and France in the Nations League finals were compounded by a loss to Slovakia in their opening World Cup qualifier, immediately putting Germany under pressure. Nagelsmann’s side responded with five straight victories, even if their performances didn’t always meet the high standard they set for themselves.
One of the breakout performers of the qualifying campaign – and a major hope heading into the World Cup – is Woltemade. With five goals in six matches, he has established himself up front, seizing the opportunity presented by the absence of striking rivals such as Tim Kleindienst and Niclas Fullkrug. The Newcastle United star’s goals proved decisive in the narrow wins over Northern Ireland (1-0) and Luxembourg (2-0).
The goalkeeping situation also remains intriguing. Oliver Baumann performed well in the absence of the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but if Ter Stegen gains the match action Nagelsmann is demanding in the second half of the season, the race for the No1 spot is likely to continue right up until the start of the World Cup.
Nagelsmann relied on a notably broad squad throughout qualifying, bringing in a number of newcomers to assess them more closely. The first half of 2026 is set to be defined by competition for places, with several positions still lacking a clear frontrunner. With Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz unable to make their mark during qualifying due to injury, two key players should become available again well in time for the tournament.
Quotes
“That was a really good performance today. From the first to the last second we were in control, played with creativity and were enjoyable to watch. You could see the quality we have.”
Nick Woltemade, Germany forward
“The coach prepared us brilliantly and gave us exactly the right words beforehand. We carried that onto the pitch – it was a strong display from us. Everyone wanted to make a statement today and knew what was at stake. The World Cup is the biggest stage a player can reach.”
Joshua Kimmich, Germany captain
“Every single player delivered an outstanding performance today. We scored great goals and showed real quality on the ball. I’m proud of the team because we had to fight through some difficult moments as well. The team spirit was excellent.”
Julian Nagelsmann, Germany head coach
Germany at the FIFA World Cup
First appearance: 1934
Appearances: 21 (1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Best result: Winners (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
