Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann will have some difficult decisions when it comes to naming his squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Friendlies with Switzerland and Ghana at the end of March, followed by games against Finland and USA shortly before the start of the tournament, will represent his last chances to whittle down his list to the final 26 players.
Assuming they stay fit, players such as Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are all but sure of their places, but others will need to impress in the second half of the season if they are to play their way into the coach’s plans.
FIFA takes a look at eight players who could still book their seat on the plane to North America.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Girona)
The biggest question mark of all probably hangs over 33-year-old keeper Ter Stegen. Nagelsmann has repeatedly said that the former Borussia Monchengladbach man would be his No1 if he re-established himself at club level and performed well, but Ter Stegen has been sidelined by back problems for much of the season, restricting him to one solitary appearance for Barcelona so far.
As Barça seemingly no longer regard him as their first choice, he has been loaned to fellow Catalonian outfit Girona to give him some much-needed game time and the opportunity to impress Nagelsmann. If he can, the experienced shot-stopper could still be an option for Germany, but time is running out.
Assan Ouedraogo (RB Leipzig)
Ouedraogo has also been beset by injuries since switching from Schalke to RB Leipzig in July 2024, but established himself in the starting XI at the start of the 2025/26 season, scoring three goals and providing the same number of assists in his first 12 Bundesliga appearances this season. He earned his first call-up for the World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia in November, and promptly opened his goalscoring account on his debut against the Slovaks.
The central midfielder is known for his physicality, dribbling ability and goalscoring threat, attributes that have certainly not gone unnoticed by Nagelsmann: “He has very good pace and a great physique, but he also poses a threat in front of goal with intelligent finishes – rarely with brute force, more with precision,” said the coach.
In mid-January, however, Ouedraogo suffered another knee injury and is expected to miss the two international matches in March. As a result, his chances of securing a place in the World Cup squad have likely taken a hit.
Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart)
Stuttgart’s midfield maestro has already been called up several times, but he was not involved in the last international window due to Germany’s embarrassment of riches in their engine room. “In defensive midfield, we have Felix Nmecha, who is having a very good season, and Aleksandar Pavlovic, who plays for probably the most consistent team in the whole of Europe right now [Bayern Munich]. They are both slightly ahead at the moment,” said Nagelsmann, before stressing that Stiller is “clearly on the right path”.
If Stiller is overlooked again in late March, however, it would represent a hammer blow to his hopes of being North America-bound at the end of the season.
Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
Having been laid low with an injury picked up on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, Havertz made his long-awaited comeback with a cameo in Arsenal’s 4-1 FA Cup win over Portsmouth earlier this month, and the 26-year-old will now be looking to make up for lost time. “We are so happy to have him,” said Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta. “He’s going to help us so much. Now we have to keep him fit.”
If Havertz can get back to firing on all cylinders with the Gunners, he is likely to be an important player for Nagelsmann and Germany too. The erstwhile Leverkusen and Chelsea schemer has scored 20 goals and provided 17 assists in his 55 appearances for the national team so far, and his goalscoring ability and versatility mean that he will surely have a great chance of sealing a spot in the squad if he can stay injury‑free in the second half of the season.
Leroy Sane (Galatasaray)
After moving to Galatasaray at the end of last season, Sane was not selected for Germany’s qualifiers in September and October. “He needs to stand out more,” Nagelsmann said. “I need to see him play at a certain level.” The vastly experienced winger was brought back into the fold for Germany’s last two qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia, and he certainly impressed with two goals and two assists.
“Julian and I have a very good relationship – we speak openly and honestly with each other,” explained Sane after the Slovakia game. “I know what I have to do. I’m glad that I was able to repay a little bit of his trust.” After a mixed start to the campaign with the Turkish giants, things have been looking up again of late for the man with 72 caps to his name. He has five goal contributions in his last five Super Liga appearances, and if he maintains his form in the months ahead, he too will have his eyes on a place in the squad.
Niclas Fullkrug (AC Milan)
Despite an impressive haul of 14 goals and two assists in his 24 outings for Germany, Fullkrug’s berth in the World Cup squad is far from assured. The 32-year-old recently sealed a loan move from West Ham to AC Milan after a disappointing first half of the campaign, and he got off the mark with the winner for the Rossoneri against Lecce on 18 January.
As things stand, a World Cup call-up seems rather unlikely, unless the powerful striker hits top form in Italy in the second half of the season. If he does, he could maybe be an option off the bench, just as he was at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ when he came up with two goals and an assist in just 66 minutes of an ill-fated campaign that shuddered to a halt at the end of the group stage.
Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich)
Bayern’s 17-year-old rising star is the name on everyone’s lips in Germany. While he is theoretically still eligible to line up for the U-17 national team, the prodigy’s performances in the first half of the season saw him play his way into Nagelsmann’s plans sooner than anyone expected. He has already established himself in Vincent Kompany’s starting XI at Bayern, and has notched seven goals and created a further two.
Germany captain Kimmich also recently hinted that his young club-mate is primed for the international stage: “He’s already forced his way into our first team. And every regular player at Bayern – especially the way we’re playing right now – belongs in the national team.” If there is no let-up in Karl’s form in the second half of the season, it may well be impossible for Nagelsmann to leave him out of his plans for the global showpiece.
Said El Mala (Cologne)
Left winger El Mala drew many admiring glances with his displays for Cologne in the first half of the season. He was called up by Nagelsmann in November, and although he did not make his debut, he made a good impression in training. Despite featuring mostly as a substitute for his club, the 19-year-old has already notched seven goals and assisted another three in 18 Bundesliga outings this term.
Nagelsmann recently went on record as saying that El Mala needs to become a regular fixture in Cologne’s starting XI if he wants to be in with a chance of making the squad for the World Cup. However, he did also say that there aren’t too many German players with El Mala’s dribbling ability, so the door does seem to be ajar for this exciting youngster.
