Nagelsmann promises: We are not ready for the 2026 World Cup yet!”

Nagelsmann promises: We are not ready for the 2026 World Cup yet!”

After the German national soccer team's disappointing exit from the European Championships against Spain, national coach Julian Nagelsmann made it clear that he is not yet finished with his team. “We still need a little time for the really big things,” he said on the RTL program “2024! People, images, emotions”. His team lost 2-1 in extra time after a controversial handball by Marc Cucurella, which fueled discussion about the referee's performance and the coach's mistakes fussball.news reported.

Nagelsmann's cardinal error

The critical analysis of Nagelsmann's decisions revealed several “cardinal errors” that led to defeat. A main point was the consistency in the line-up, which continued to rely on Kai Havertz instead of Niclas Füllkrug, who repeatedly missed chances. The decision not to rotate the squad was also heavily questioned. In an intense tournament, a fresh lineup would have, like voice.de reported, can be decisive.

The line-up surprised many, especially the nomination of Emre Can. Nagelsmann also relied on Leroy Sané, whose form and fitness were rated as problematic during the tournament. These tactical decisions seemed to weigh on the team at crucial moments. Given the team's greatly improved performance during the European Championships, it is now crucial that Nagelsmann learns from these experiences and optimally prepares the team for the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.