Just nine days before Germany’s first World Cup match, Julian Nagelsmann was robbed of a “perfect fit” for the squad.

Germany forward Lennart Karl is ruled out of the 2026 World Cup with a thigh injury.

The core of the team is a well-known trio: Caicedo of Chelsea, Arsenal’s Hincapie and Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Willian Pacho. All three are aged 24 and graduated from Independiente del Valle’s academy. They personify the blend of technical quality and physicality which runs through the team.

Soccer fans are getting treated to a full buffet on Saturday, June 6, with 13 friendly matches taking place featuring teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

From Germany’s training camp in Chicago ahead of the World Cup kicking off, Brown was asked about the heavy interest from Bayern, but the defender stressed that he’s not thinking about that right now. For the time being, he is 100% focused on the German national team and the World Cup.

Get the lowdown on every team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at Germany. What can I expect from Germany? Though four-time winners, Germany's last World Cup knockout match was the victorious final of 2014.

Chicago took itself out of the running to be a host city for the 2026 World Cup