Germany 'miles' behind Slovakia in historic defeat as Julian Nagelsmann regrets prioritising ‘quality’ over players who ‘give their all’

Germany slumped to a shock 2-0 defeat against Slovakia in their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier. Goals from David Hancko and David Strelec secured a famous victory for the home side. Despite dominating possession with 70 per cent of the ball, Germany managed just four shots on target compared to Slovakia's five. Following the match, manager Nagelsmann delivered a furious assessment, stating his side were "miles away from everything" and that the opponent brought "more footballing quality to the pitch." He heavily criticised his team's lack of "emotionality" and suggested he may need to rethink his selection strategy.

The defeat is Germany's first ever away defeat in World Cup qualifying and puts immediate and significant pressure on Nagelsmann's team, who are now already on the back foot in their bid for automatic qualification for the World Cup. The national team coach accused his players of lacking passion, suggesting he made a mistake by picking the best players instead of those who want to win.

Speaking to ARD, Nagelsmann said: "If we start with very simple things like emotionality, the opponent was simply miles ahead of us. That's a fact. And shockingly, on top of that, such an opponent brings more footballing quality to the pitch than we do. If we can't achieve this emotionality – and it was no different in Qatar, it was no different at the European Championship against Hungary, and not much different against Denmark – then we can close the book, because quality doesn't play a role."

He added: "It should have dawned on everyone that we're going to the World Cup and want to play a good role. Today we were miles away from everything, from good and evil. We weren't evil, by the way. 

"Maybe we just have to rely on less quality and instead on players who give their all, because that would have led to a better result today than if the best players had played. That's official.

"No, I don't have 150 German players at my disposal. I have confidence in the team, but everyone has to understand that. We have five games left, and we have to win them all, including against them. Otherwise, we'll be playing in the playoffs in March. If we want that, we have to perform like this."

Nagelsmann has warned that his team must win their remaining qualifiers to avoid the uncertainty of the play-offs in March 2026. The manager's public criticism of his squad's mentality could lead to significant personnel changes for the next match. Germany will now take on Northern Ireland, who enjoy the first spot on the table after the first round.