The German football team recently suffered two devastating defeats against two top teams, France and Portugal, and came last in a minor tournament that the team wanted to win. This has forced team management to reconsider the team’s prospects and chances of success at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2026.
Julian Nagelsmann, head coach, hoped that the final four games of the Nations League would show Germany’s prowess. But, the tournament featuring Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal saw the German team lose 2-0 against France and 2-1 against Portugal, revealing that the team was not where they thought they were in terms of performance.
This upset many fans of the “Nationalelf” who had their hopes and funds pinned on the success of the team. Punters flocked to online betting sites to wager on who would win the tournament, with many left disappointed as Germany lost two games in a row. Fans who want to continue to engage deeply with football tournaments (or the upcoming World Cup) can continue betting without Gamstop self-exclusion requirements on many reputable online sportsbooks, as the odds keep changing as teams face off.
Portugal was the tournament winner, defeating the current European champion, Spain. This has placed Portugal among the favourites for the World Cup next year, although reigning champion Argentina and France’s star-studded team are also looking promising.
Nagelsmann wanted to point out the positives of the team’s performance, despite the losses. Germany dominated the field in the game against France, especially in the first half. The German side created several chances and seemed highly motivated before suffering eventual defeat. Kylian Mbappe from the French side scored just before half time, and also helped Michael Olise with the final goal during the game’s second half.
According to German team captain Joshua Kimmich, the French team didn’t really seem all that motivated, stating, “If you look at the first half, honestly, they were not bothered about winning. But they still won.”
This was similar to what played out during the Portugal game. The German team seemed to be the more eager side, but the game was flipped when Portugal’s head coach, Roberto Martínez, substituted players during the second half. When Vitinha, Semedo, and Conceição ran onto the field, the German defence had to jump into action, and Marc-André ter Stegen faced a challenging job as goalkeeper.
Notably, the German team also had some missing players due to injuries, which could have potentially changed the games’ outcomes. Absences included Angelo Stiller, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Nico Schlotterbeck, Antonio Rüdiger, Yann Aurel Bisseck, Tim Kleindienst, and Jonathan Burkardt. However, the French side also missed top players Eduardo Camavinga and Ousmane Dembélé.
Even if the German squad was at full strength, fans are wondering whether they would’ve been able to match the abilities of their opponents. The team appears to lack strong player development, plus the young players are potentially not of the same calibre as the other teams’ talent.
Speaking about what the team’s prospects are looking like, Nagelsmann said, “Right now we’re looking at what’s important to see where we are in the world, what we need for the future, and to learn the right lessons from that. It would be nice if we could get one or two of the players up to speed by next year, but of course that’s a limited window of opportunity.”
He remains optimistic, believing that even with the recent losses, the German squad will play a good World Cup campaign and have a successful tournament.
