The plan 

Predicting Germany’s tactics is not entirely straightforward, because Julian Nagelsmann likes to change both his line-up and his system. In fact, Nagelsmann kept switching formations throughout the World Cup qualifiers. The result was five mediocre to poor performances, including a 2-0 defeat in Slovakia that could easily have been heavier. But in the end, the German team were convincing in the return fixture, swept their opponents aside 6-0 and won their group convincingly. 

Nagelsmann will probably base his team on the XI from the match against the Slovakians in Leipzig, as well as on a highly passionate style. “We have to play with emotion,” says Nagelsmann, who is regarded as a tactical obsessive who is often seen shouting and raging in the technical area. 

The national team’s traditional recipe for success has been to adopt the things that work well at Bayern Munich and, In 1974 and 2014, that led to World Cup triumphs. The chances of a repeat initially appear favourable: this season has gone exceptionally well for Germany’s only genuinely world-class club. Nagelsmann is therefore likely to rely on Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlović, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala and the impact substitute Lennart Karl (with Serge Gnabry unfortunately sidelined through injury) as well as Manuel Neuer, who ended his international retirement in May to play in his fifth World Cup. 

But can the Munich axis be relied upon? Musiala is out of form, and in recent months was not much more influential for Bayern than Goretzka, who sat on the bench in all the important matches in the second half of the season yet still seems certain to start under Nagelsmann. And Kimmich will play in a different position for Germany than he does for Bayern: at right-back rather than in central midfield. It is a solution with risks. 

Kimmich embodies a problem in German football: there is a lack of individual class. He is certainly a master of the traditional virtues. But as captain, because of his shortcomings in tackles and one-on-one situations, he does not measure up to predecessors such as Lothar Matthäus, Michael Ballack or Philipp Lahm. Germany also used to pride themselves on their goalkeepers and defenders. That, too, is currently lacking, despite the return of Neuer, who is 40 now. Nor are there any midfield strategists such as Toni Kroos or Mesut Özil at present. 

The hope lies up front. In the No10 role Nagelsmann has a wide range of options in Florian Wirtz, Musiala, Kai Havertz and now also Karl, all of whom possess outstanding skills. He will probably use Havertz as a deep-lying centre-forward as there was never any doubt about the Arsenal forward’s technical ability, only about his efficiency. Will he be more clinical this time than he was at Euro 2024? He will need to be because, with Niclas Füllkrug and Nick Woltemade still not really established, this is a team without a classic goalscorer. 

The coach 

More and more figures within German football are criticising Julian Nagelsmann. Most recently, Uli Hoeneß accused him of misunderstanding his role. “Our national coach thinks he wins the match. No, the team wins the match,” said Bayern Munich’s still-influential honorary president. Nagelsmann has so far achieved little more than a run of mixed results with the Germany side, and he also keeps making life difficult for himself with curious remarks. After the 2-1 win over Ghana in March, irritated by reporters’ questions, he publicly rebuked his match-winner Deniz Undav. A decade ago, as a young coach, he saved Hoffenheim from relegation and soon afterwards led the club into the Champions League. He is only 38 years old but the promise that many believed they saw in him – that he would become a great coach, even a genius – has yet to be fulfilled. 

The star player 

Florian Wirtz combines the qualities of a playmaker with those of a tireless team player in a way that is exceedingly rare. “He is extremely hard-working and not a classic No10 who only wants the ball, but someone who also puts in a lot of work,” says Julian Nagelsmann, who defended Wirtz when he came in for criticism in the months after he moved to England. All in all, Wirtz did not have a terrible season at Liverpool. But measured against his class and his transfer fee, it has not been a particularly good one. The same applies, to some extent, to the national team. Against non-elite opponents, as in the 4-3 win in Switzerland in March, Wirtz can blow everyone away with his technique and his interplay with Kai Havertz or Lennart Karl. But if Germany are to have a successful World Cup, the 23-year-old will also have to perform against major football nations. 

One to watch 

At the age of 10 Lennart Karl had a trial at the Bernabéu, but decided to stay in Germany. When he said this January that Real Madrid was his dream club and that he definitely wanted to play for them one day, some Bayern fans took offence. Yet it is probably precisely this mixture of self-confidence and carefree ease that defines the 18-year-old. A year ago he was still playing for Bayern’s Under-19s; now his dribbling is feared everywhere. He made his international debut in March. “He is calmer than I expected,” said Julian Nagelsmann. “I had absolutely no sense that the hype had gone to his head.” 

Unsung hero 

Nico Schlotterbeck and Antonio Rüdiger attract more attention, but Germany’s best defender is Jonathan Tah. His strength in the tackle and his composure on the ball will be crucial. Tah is not a man of many words and comes across as quiet off the pitch. On it, however, he seems to have found his role, and in the United States he will play his first World Cup match at the age of 30. “It certainly was never pleasant playing against me, because I have a certain physicality,” he told Zeit two years ago. “But now I’m even more unpleasant, because I always keep my opponent in view and stay right on him.” 

Probable starting XI

(4-2-3-1) Neuer – Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Raum – Pavlovic, Goretzka – Sané, Musiala, Wirtz – Havertz

What to expect from fans at games?

“Olé, super Deutschland, olé!” “Deutschlaand, Deutschlaaand, Deutschlaaaand!” German terrace chants cannot quite keep up with the creativity of Jamal Musiala’s or Lennart Karl’s dribbling and, during the home Euros two years ago, Julian Nagelsmann complained that Germany’s fans were too quiet. Being typically German, the DFB set up a working group in 2024 to improve the atmosphere: the AG Stimmung. “People want to sing, they just need someone to tell them what to sing,” said lead chanter Bengt Kunkel. However, Kunkel will not be travelling to the United States. He feels the same as many Germany fans, for whom this World Cup is simply too big and too expensive. Even so, there will probably be at least a few more German supporters in the United States, Mexico and Canada than there were in Qatar. 

This article is part of JoySports' collaboration with The Guardian. The cooperation enables readers to access team news, previews, and more from all 48 teams that qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.