June 11th. That’s the day North America opens its doors to the world, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway. Mexico will raise the curtain on opening night when they welcome South Africa to Mexico City in a rematch of the 2010 opener held on South African soil. Germany’s campaign will get underway three days later when they face off against debutants Curaçao in Houston, and Julian Nagelsmann will be determined to return Die Mannschaft back to the upper echelons of the beautiful game.
Germany are one of the most successful teams in World Cup history, winning the tournament four times throughout their illustrious history. To put that into context, only record five-time champions Brazil have won more. But since their most recent success in Brazil 12 years ago, the Germans have known nothing but misery on the global stage.
Germany’s Back-to-Back Group Stage Exits
They were dumped out in the group stage for the first time ever when defending their crown in Russia in 2018, falling victim to the champions’ curse in the process. Four years later, a 2-1 defeat to Japan and a draw with Spain were enough to send them packing in the group stage once again, rendering their 4-2 win against Costa Rica in their final group game completely irrelevant.
On the eve of the 2026 showpiece, online betting sites consider the four-time champions contenders once more. The popular 5Gringos online sportsbook currently has the Mannschaft listed as a 12/1 fringe contender to leave MetLife Stadium as champions on July 19th, with reigning European Champions Spain the outright frontrunners at 9/2. But if the Germans are to contend, then manager Nagelsmann has to ensure that he makes the correct choice about his starting striker.
Germany have three leading contenders to start up front in that Texan opener against tiny Curaçao, one of them in far better form than the other two. So, which direction will Nagelsmann head in? Let’s take a look.
Kai Havertz
Throughout Nagelsmann’s nearly three years in charge of the national team, no striker has appeared more in a Germany shirt than Kai Havertz. In fact, only six players altogether have appeared more than the Arsenal striker under the current boss. That would appear to make him the leading contender to start in the June 14th opener.
However, Havertz has had to endure an injury-hit year in North London. The 26-year-old has made just six starts since last March. First, he tore his hamstring, which caused him to miss the back end of last season, before then injuring his knee in Arsenal’s first game of the 2025/26 Premier League season against Manchester United. That kept the former Bayer Leverkusen man sidelined until February, when Havertz slowly made his way back into the first team fold.
The deep-lying forward has scored some crucial goals since his return, including a late equaliser against his boyhood club Leverkusen in the Champions League round of 16, followed up by an even later winner in the quarterfinals of the same competition against Sporting CP. He also scored Arsenal’s only goal in the recent 2-1 defeat away at title rivals Manchester City, and he did so in freak circumstances.
Nagelsmann has wasted no time in returning Havertz to the national team. He started Germany’s 4-3 friendly win against Switzerland on March 27th and came off the bench at half-time in the game against Ghana three days later, scoring from the penalty spot in a 2-1 win. Despite his lack of game time, he remains the favourite to start for Die Mannschaft at the World Cup.
Nick Woltemade
With Havertz injured throughout World Cup qualifying, Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade was Nagelsmann’s go-to man. The giant striker moved to England’s North East last summer for a reported €75m, and he immediately started repaying that transfer fee when he made a blistering start to life on Tyneside, netting four goals in his first five games for his new club. He would also repay Nagelsmann’s show of faith in qualifying, top-scoring with four goals as Germany topped their qualifying group.
However, throughout the second half of the season, Woltemade has endured a miserable downturn in form that has coincided with Newcastle tumbling down the Premier League standings. The former Stuttgart man hasn’t scored a league goal since December, and club manager Eddie Howe’s insistence on playing him in attacking midfield rather than as a striker certainly hasn’t helped matters.
That downturn in form has transferred over to the national team as well. Despite Germany netting six goals across their two friendly games in March, Woltemade didn’t score or assist any of them. As such, he may find himself on the outside looking in at the World Cup, and if he does get a chance, either off the bench or in a shock starting role, he must grasp the opportunity with both hands.
Deniz Undav
None of Germany’s strikers have been in better form than Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav this season. The pacey attacker has netted 25 goals in all competitions, including 19 goals in the Bundesliga, a figure only bettered by Bayern Munich and England talisman Harry Kane. The 29-year-old has propelled The Reds to a top-four finish in the German top flight, and he has also led them to the DFB Pokal final, netting crucial goals in each of the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals.
Nagelsmann handed him his Germany debut in early 2024, and he has only made sporadic appearances since then. However, he has attempted to make good on every opportunity he has been given, netting four goals in just seven appearances, including a last-gasp winner in that 2-1 win against Ghana. If Nagelsmann chooses his striker purely on form and nothing else, then Undav is the only option.
