FRANKFURT — Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann has officially revealed his provisional 26-man squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The most notable inclusion is veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The 2014 World Cup winner had initially announced his retirement from international football following UEFA EURO 2024. However, the Bayern Munich legend reversed his decision after direct consultations with management and is set to travel to North America as the team's projected first-choice goalkeeper for his fifth consecutive World Cup finals.
Nagelsmann, who at 38 is two years younger than his veteran goalkeeper, balanced his squad by blending seasoned tournament veterans with players who earned their positions through strong domestic performances over the current club season.
Germany's Provisional 26-Man World Cup Squad
• Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann, Manuel Neuer, Alexander Nübel.
• Defenders: Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, Joshua Kimmich, David Raum, Antonio Rüdiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Malick Thiaw.
• Midfielders: Nadiem Amiri, Leon Goretzka, Pascal Groß, Lennart Karl, Jamie Leweling, Jamal Musiala, Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlović, Leroy Sané, Angelo Stiller, Florian Wirtz.
• Forwards: Maximilian Beier, Kai Havertz, Deniz Undav, Nick Woltemade.
Note: All team rosters remain provisional until FIFA publishes the finalized, mandatory 26-man lists on June 2.
Changing of the Guard and Notable Omissions
The squad will be captained by Joshua Kimmich, who is expected to anchor the midfield and serve as the team's primary vocal leader on and off the pitch. Alongside Kimmich, playmaker Florian Wirtz, forward Kai Havertz, and center-back Nico Schlotterbeck are projected to form the central spine of Nagelsmann's tactical setup.
To manage emergency contingencies, Cologne goalkeeper Jonas Urbig will travel alongside the main contingent as a designated fourth training goalkeeper to cover potential fitness or illness risks.
The competitive depth of the German pool resulted in several prominent omissions from the tournament roster. Forward Karim Adeyemi, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich, and West Ham United striker Niclas Füllkrug were all left out of the traveling squad, indicating a tactical pivot toward highly fluid, mobile attacking configurations.
Group E Schedule and Venues
The DFB-Elf will wrap up their domestic training camp before flying out to their North American base. Germany has been placed into Group E, a group that presents distinct cross-continental challenges across three different host cities.
Germany opens its tournament campaign on June 14 against Curaçao at the Houston Stadium. The team will then travel north to Canada to face Côte d'Ivoire on June 20 at the Toronto Stadium, before concluding their group-stage obligations on June 25 against Ecuador at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper reverses his retirement to anchor a 26-man roster balanced with established core veterans and rising domestic talent.
