Leroy Sane earned praise from Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann after starring in the four-time world champions' hard-fought 2-0 win over Luxembourg in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Friday. Nagelsmann had earlier issued a public warning to former Bayern Munich and Manchester City winger that he could lose his place in the national if he did not perform consistently.

Julian Nagelsmann has broken with Germany's traditional captaincy protocol, opting to name Bayern Munich defender Jonathan Tah as the stand-in captain for the injured Joshua Kimmich against Luxembourg. This decision means Nagelsmann overlooked Leroy Sane, the most-capped player in the current squad, despite the customary practice of awarding the armband to the most experienced figure in the absence of regular captains.

Julian Nagelsmann has fiercely defended his public warning to Leroy Sane, stating that his comments were not "for fun" and had been discussed with the player beforehand. The Germany boss faced criticism in the media for his handling of the Galatasaray winger, but Nagelsmann reiterated his expectations for Sane's performance on the pitch.

Former Schalke coach Jens Keller, who managed Leroy Sane and handed him his professional debut, has criticised Germany national team boss Julian Nagelsmann for his comments about the winger. On Monday, Nagelsmann issued another warning to Sane regarding his World Cup prospects following his move to Galatasaray, with Keller of the belief that such comments should be reserved for private conversations.

Julian Nagelsmann has issued a stark warning to Leroy Sane, cautioning the Galatasaray winger that he no longer has "countless opportunities" to prove himself for the German national team. The Germany coach, while acknowledging Sane's improved performances in Turkey, made it clear that he expects more from the 29-year-old and that his recent call-up was partly due to a lack of alternatives.

Former German legends Dietmar Hamann and Oliver Kahn have criticised the inclusion of Said El Mala in Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. Kahn argued that players should not be selected based on just two or three good performances, while Hamann felt that Nagelsmann should have waited until March next year to give El Mala his first opportunity with the national team.