Julian Nagelsmann stands by misfiring Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz as Germany boss promises to bring best out of duo

Expectations were high for Musiala and Wirtz heading into the 2026 World Cup, but neither has yet made a decisive impact. Both struggled in Germany's defeat to Ecuador, with their dribbling threat repeatedly neutralised by the opposition's physical approach. Despite the disappointing performance, Nagelsmann has no plans to abandon the partnership. The Germany head coach confirmed he will continue to rely on Musiala and Wirtz for Monday's round-of-32 tie, convinced their quality will soon make the difference.

Nagelsmann praised Wirtz's commitment despite the Bayer Leverkusen star failing to produce a goal. The Germany boss also urged patience with Musiala, pointing to the Bayern Munich attacker's lengthy spell out through injury.

"Flo was very committed and gave it his all," Nagelsmann told reporters. "He's lacking luck. He had two or three top-notch dribbles in the penalty area. He's missing the goal."

Speaking about Musiala, he said: "He's been out for a year. We all know what he's capable of. We have to coax it out of him. The breakthrough (Musiala and Wirtz) will definitely come on Monday!"

There was at least one encouraging sign against Ecuador, with Leroy Sane ending his own goal drought. Nagelsmann welcomed the winger's contribution and believes it could help ease the pressure on Germany's younger attacking stars.

"I was happy for him," Nagelsmann stated. "He's doing well. He almost scored his second goal."

However, rather than overhauling his side after the defeat, Nagelsmann wants his players to learn from the setback while maintaining belief in their attacking style.

Nagelsmann said: "It's important that we learn from our experiences. I would have made different substitutions if we still needed a win. On Monday, it's about giving it our all and reaching the next round. We need to dribble forward with confidence on Monday."

Germany will leave their Winston-Salem base ahead of their round of 32 match against Paraguay on Monday in Boston. Nagelsmann has indicated he will resist making sweeping changes, instead placing his trust in Musiala, Wirtz and the rest of his attacking unit to respond in the knockout stage.