A disastrous performance! Nagelsmann has done himself no favours with several questionable decisions

Switzerland v Germany - International Friendly

The days leading up to the squad announcement have been far from calm. National coach Julian Nagelsmann heads into the World Cup in a weakened position, having undergone a surprising downward spiral. A commentary.

Germany can breathe a sigh of relief—the culprit has already been found. This is historically significant, because whenever things go awry, someone must always be held to account. Should the German national team, in whatever form, fail to impress at the upcoming World Cup, the post-mortem is already complete.

Just as after the crushing exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, observers will soon look beyond the on-field action and examine the bigger picture. Back then, the debate centred on the team's political stance and the players' public statements, factors many believed held the side back.

Four years on, the crux of the problem lies in the present day, during these final Bundesliga matches. "There will be decisions that probably won't be met with a great deal of understanding," national coach Julian Nagelsmann told kicker on 1 March, referring to his World Cup selection process. It was the central statement in a remarkably extensive interview in which Nagelsmann, unlike most of his predecessors, delivered decisive—and sometimes unsolicited—individual critiques of players.

That prediction has already proven prescient, even though the final squad for the USA, Canada and Mexico tournament has not yet been officially announced. Partly to blame is the communication disaster surrounding Manuel Neuer's return as first-choice goalkeeper, a saga that has spun out of control and further shaken Nagelsmann's credibility in the public eye—and almost certainly within parts of the squad. 

Germany v Ghana - International Friendly

Nagelsmann is poised to step straight into a PR minefield.

On the other hand—and it's fair to note that Nagelsmann isn't solely to blame—details about which players will join the squad and which will go on holiday have been leaking to the media for days. The DFB is not happy about this breach of confidentiality, and such leaks are both damaging and unusual in other major footballing nations.

As a result, Thursday's announcement is unlikely to spring any major surprises; the suspense has evaporated. Nagelsmann's explanations will therefore be closely scrutinised, especially his reasoning behind the goalkeeper decision. Several pitfalls already await the national coach, as past events illustrate.

From Joshua Kimmich's surprise demotion to midfield, to contradictory statements about the roles of Leon Goretzka and, especially, Aleksandar Pavlovic—whom he recently misrepresented on Aktuelles Sportstudio—to the Deniz Undav affair, Nagelsmann has already stepped on several land mines and owns full responsibility for the fallout.

Germany Training And Press Conference

Nagelsmann's appearance on a TV chat show has damaged his reputation

Take his appearance on ZDF last Saturday, for instance: it is to Nagelsmann's credit that he did not cancel the long-scheduled slot, even though he had in the meantime postponed the squad announcement by a few days. However, given the controversy surrounding Neuer and Oliver Baumann – which the media had blown out of all proportion just hours earlier – his appearance was now linked to high expectations.

Yet he disappointed on every front, saying nothing of substance and uttering not a single word on personnel matters. Instead, he claimed he had not even seen the 55-man preliminary squad list that must be submitted to FIFA. Nagelsmann might have been better off spending the evening at home rather than travelling to the Mainz studio. As it stands, the appearance has undoubtedly damaged his reputation.

Julian Nagelsmann

Nagelsmann has experienced a remarkable downturn.

That shift has been clear ever since in countless comment sections, both in the media and among fans. Nagelsmann has lost a great deal of credibility, taking a surprising turn for the worse.

Two years ago, on the eve of the home European Championship, the 38-year-old enjoyed a significant rise in popularity and high approval ratings. Now, however, Nagelsmann faces sharp criticism from experts—including national opinion leader Uli Hoeneß—over his approach, and public sentiment has soured. 

There is little sense of optimism among fans or experts ahead of Thursday's squad announcement, despite Germany's seven-match winning run. Even the imminent kick-off of the first group game in a few weeks has failed to lift morale, leaving Nagelsmann with little chance of turning perceptions before the 1 pm deadline.

Germany's group matches at the 2026 World Cup