The German Football Association (DFB) is revealing the 26-man squad one player at a time throughout Thursday via emotional announcement videos on Instagram. The official announcement was delayed from May 12 to allow Nagelsmann to assess players during the final Bundesliga matchday.
Major Leaks & Talking Points
According to leaks from the last 48 hours, here are the biggest headlines:
Manuel Neuer Returns from Retirement!
The biggest shock: Manuel Neuer is reportedly coming out of international retirement to become Germany's No.1 at the World Cup, ahead of Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann. This would be a stunning U-turn after his retirement following Euro 2024.
Goalkeepers (4)
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Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) — Returning as No.1
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Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim)
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Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart)
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Jonas Urbig (Bayern Munich) — Will travel but not part of the 26-man squad (training only)
❌ Missing out: Finn Dahmen (Augsburg), Noah Atubolu (Freiburg)
Defenders (7)
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Waldemar Anton (Dortmund)
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Nathaniel Brown (Frankfurt)
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Joshua Kimmich (Bayern)
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David Raum (Leipzig)
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Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid)
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Nico Schlotterbeck (Dortmund)
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Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich)
❌ Missing out: Chris Führich, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Josha Vagnoman (all Stuttgart), Yann Bisseck (Inter Milan), Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders/Attackers (12)
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Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund) — Replaces injured Serge Gnabry
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Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
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Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
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Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich) — Surprise inclusion, informed by Nagelsmann
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Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart)
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Felix Nmecha (Dortmund)
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Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich)
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Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart)
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Deniz Undav (Stuttgart)
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Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
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Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
Biggest Surprises
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Said El Mala (1. FC Köln, 19 years old): Called up despite zero senior caps! Scored 13 goals with 5 assists in 34 Bundesliga games. Nagelsmann personally informed him of his inclusion.
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Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich): Another young surprise call-up
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Niclas Füllkrug (Milan): Set to miss out in favour of Tim Kleindienst (Borussia Mönchengladbach), who has played just 6 minutes of league football this season
