National League Debacle: Germany under pressure after France defeat

National League Debacle: Germany under pressure after France defeat

The German national soccer team experiences a challenging time after taking fourth place in the Nation's League tournament. After a 0-2 loss to France on June 8, 2025 in the Stuttgart stadium, in front of 51,313 spectators, the team is criticized. This defeat was already followed by a narrow 1: 2 bankruptcy in the semi-final against Portugal.

national coach Julian Nagelsmann is faced with weighty challenges. In the last two games, the team only scored one goal, but had to accept four goals. This balance sheet weakness is reinforced by injuries of important players such as Antonio Rüdiger, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz. Captain Joshua Kimmich noted that Germany should have managed in the first half, but criticized the loss of patience and structure within the game.

criticism of referee decisions

Special unrest was about a controversial referee decision by Ivan Kruzliak. Nagelsmann expressed his displeasure with the displeasure of a goal by video evidence, which should be attributed to Niclas Füllkrug. The two goals for France were scored by Kylian Mbappé in the 45th minute and Michael Olise in the 84th minute. Despite the defeat, Nagelsmann is optimistic and recognizes positive approaches in the playing style of the team, but gates urgently need to be scored in the medium term.

The focus of the national team is now aimed at the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September, in which Germany will compete against Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. In order to optimize the squad for this challenge, some players were appointed in advance.

rejuvenation of the squad

Nagelsmann Tom Bischof for the first time for the upcoming tournament appointed the German national team squad. Bishop will switch from TSG Hoffenheim to FC Bayern Munich for the new season and takes part in the club World Cup. The goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen returns after injury and will strengthen the team. Next to him are also Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nübel in the 26-member contingent.

Other returnees are Waldemar Anton and Felix Nmecha from Borussia Dortmund, as well as Robin Gosens, who was most recently active in Serie A at AC Florence. However, the injury problem in the team is still present: Jamal Musiala, Antonio Rüdiger and Kai Havertz are not available to Nagelsmann, and Nico Schlotterbeck and Tim Kleindienst are also missing.

The challenges that the national team faces is clear: the discussion about the quality of the players from the second row remains a central topic. Players and coaches try to gain positive knowledge from the latest defeats while the time is pushing to prepare for the upcoming license games.

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