Julian Nagelsmann, head coach of the German national team, surely did not miss the discourse on Saturday regarding Jamal Musiala, but — as expected — the boss is sticking to his guns.
Julian Nagelsmann confirms that Manuel Neuer, Nathaniel Brown and Jamal Musiala will all start against Curaçao in Germany’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
On Musiala, the coach says: “He only gets into rhythm if he gets playing time. He’ll get that tomorrow.”
Aside from some of his decisions on the starting XI, Nagelsmann also addressed the extreme heat the squad has been dealing with. Despite that, he believes his team is ready.
“The guys trained well and gave everything despite the heat. The atmosphere is very good. I’m very confident for tomorrow. After the qualifiers, squad nomination and all the build-up before the tournament, I’m looking forward to getting started,” Nagelsmann said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “(Sunday) is a bit like the first round of the DFB-Pokal. You face a smaller team that has nothing to lose — that makes every opponent dangerous. They have a very experienced coach in Dick Advocaat, who will certainly have a plan. The most important thing in the first game of a major tournament is the three points. Of course we want to play a good game, but the win is the most important thing for the confidence.”
Germany go into the match as strong favorites against Curaçao.
