Germany news

Palmer & the biggest stars to miss out on the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup is almost here. After years of build-up, dramatic qualifiers and numerous good - and bad - news stories surrounding FIFA's flagship finals, players and coaches from around the world are completing their last preparations after descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for the biggest international football tournament to ever have been staged.

Yamal, Haaland & 10 stars making their World Cup debuts

We're now just hours away from the start of the 2026 World Cup, with teams currently making their final preparations ahead of the big kick-off in the United States, Mexico and Canada on Thursday. This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 teams having qualified, meaning there are a whole host of players making their first appearance on the global stage.

World Cup 2026: The Ultimate Guide

Inspiration for Messi, CR7? Milla, Klose among top aging WC stars

From Roger Milla to Peter Shilton, GOAL looks at some of the legendary performances from aging stars at World Cups

adidas drops retro-inspired World Cup 2026 goalkeeper kits

Nostalgia is taking over the penalty box.

Telekom To Present The MagentaTV Team For The FIFA World Cup 2026

"Difficult to communicate with": Müller criticises Nagelsmann

Manuel Neuer's return and Oliver Baumann's demotion, coming just days before the World Cup, had been the dominant talking points surrounding the DFB team for weeks. Now Thomas Müller has also spoken out.

GOAL writers predict which teams will flop at the World Cup

It's so close we can almost taste it. The 2026 World Cup is now just a two days away, with the best players from around the globe descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for what promises to be a superb summer of football. While some teams will solely harbour dreams of getting out of the groups, others know that anything other than a trophy parade in late-July will go down as failure. We're set, then, for five-and-a-half weeks of drama, filled with joy and heartbreak in equal measure.

USMNT showed fight again, but is that enough before World Cup?

The U.S. responded well to going 1-0 down against Germany, but settled for little more than a hard-working loss against a better opponent - an eerily familiar outcome.

Sidelined for months? That's how long Karl is reportedly set to be out at Bayern.

Lennart Karl is expected to sit out FC Bayern Munich's first training session due to his injury.

Taking a dig at El Mala: Nagelsmann hopes for a DFB fairytale

His debut was nothing short of a fairy tale, and Julian Nagelsmann predicts a bright future for World Cup replacement Assan Ouedraogo.

Karl-Schock is set to ignite a fiery debate at Bayern

The latest muscle injury to star striker Lennart Karl appears to have given the FC Bayern Munich management pause for thought.

Six biggest selection debates facing the World Cup favourites

We are now just days away, and World Cup fever is gripping the globe as teams from 48 countries descend on the United States, Mexico and Canada for the biggest tournament FIFA have ever staged. Managers are making their final plans ahead of the opening round of group games, but for some there are still massive decisions to be made.

Betting spotlight

Early World Cup fixtures favour the underdogs

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Gündogan defends Sane amid pre-World Cup criticism

Galatasaray Istanbul's Ilkay Gündogan has defended his much-criticised teammate Leroy Sané ahead of the World Cup.

Germany vs Curacao: Stream, TV channels & where to watch

How to watch the World Cup match between Germany and Curacao, as well as kick-off time and team news

Disaster for Germany as team-mate explains how Karl suffered awful injury

Germany have been dealt a massive blow ahead of the 2026 World Cup with the news that Bayern Munich starlet Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the tournament. The 18-year-old’s dreams were crushed during the final training session before Germany's friendly against the USA, leaving Julian Nagelsmann to find an emergency replacement. Team-mate Deniz Undav later detailed the awful setback.

Jedi scores, Tillman rises as Miles Robinson struggles continue

The USMNT fell short against Germany in their final pre-World Cup tune-up, but Mauricio Pochettino still saw signs of progress as Antonee Robinson delivered a stunning goal, Malik Tillman impressed in a deeper role, and Miles Robinson endured another difficult outing.

Sane also voices his complaints: Matthäus mocks World Cup hosts the USA

Record Germany cap-holder Lothar Matthäus was amused by the conditions in the US after the DFB side's final World Cup warm-up on Saturday night.

Baumann on the relegation: "Not exactly great"

National goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (36) has opened up about his feelings, explaining that being demoted to second choice in the DFB squad was initially hard to take.

Robinson's golazo not enough as USMNT show fight in Germany loss

Antonee Robinson scored a screamer and the USMNT showed plenty of fight, but defensive lapses proved costly in a 2-1 loss to Germany.

WATCH: Robinson scores a golazo to help USMNT level against Germany

Antonee Robinson has built a reputation as one of the Premier League’s top left backs, but the USMNT defender showed he can be just as dangerous at the other end of the pitch. Robinson blasted a rocket past Germany goalkeeper Oliver Baumann to pull the Americans level at 1-1 - and somehow, his celebration may have been even better.

Tough break: World Cup unlucky charm Karl suffered an injury while shooting at goal

Germany forward Lennart Karl (18) has suffered a serious muscle injury while striking a shot on goal. The setback will rule him out of the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

What, according to Nagelsmann, worked in Ouedraogo's favour-and against El Mala

National team manager Julian Nagelsmann has outlined the injury suffered by Lennart Karl and clarified the rationale behind the surprise late call-up of Assan Ouedraogo.

USA vs Germany Predictions, Lineups, Odds & Tips: Germans to see off co-hosts in Chicago

Our expert offers his best USA vs Germany Predictions, Lineups, Odds & Tips for their Friendly clash this evening (06/06/2026).

Explained: Why ALL squad players must join World Cup pre-match anthems

FIFA has announced a significant protocol modification that will see every squad member take part in the pre-match national anthems at the upcoming World Cup. Moving away from traditional sporting custom, football's global governing body has mandated that both starting line-ups and substitutes congregate together on the pitch ahead of kick-off.

What on earth has El Mala done? Making sense of Karl's outburst and Nagelsmann's reaction

Ouedraogo for Karl—would that have been a hot take? Not for Julian Nagelsmann, which begs the question: what on earth is wrong with the man? Or, for that matter, what are we even discussing here? A commentary.

Surprising names! Matthäus would have called up "someone else"

Had Lennart Karl not been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury, Lothar Matthäus would not have chosen Assan Ouedraogo as his replacement.

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