Germany sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup with a dominant 6-0 win over Slovakia, and former captain Lothar Matthaus believes the team can challenge the likes of England, France and Portugal for the title despite a shaky qualifying campaign and recent tournament struggles. The 1990 World Cup winner insists there is no reason for fear if the team maintains the intensity shown in Monday's win.
A positive finish after a bumpy qualifying campaign
Germany will make their 21st appearance at the tournament. It was a much-needed statement performance after what has been a shaky road through Group A. They opened qualifying with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Slovakia in September before recovering with wins against Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. They then rounded off the campaign with a resounding win against Slovakia this week.
The 2014 world champions have failed to advance past the group stage in the last two editions, and recent tournaments have raised doubts about whether the team is still among the elite. They lost to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and fell 2-1 to Portugal in the Nations League semi-final in Munich. The progress under Julian Nagelsmann has been steady rather than spectacular, and he is yet to win a major trophy since taking charge in 2023.
Earlier, national team legend Toni Kroos said the team was lucky to have been handed a relatively easy World Cup qualifying group.
Still, the dominant performance on Monday was enough to bring optimism back into the conversation. Matthaus called the win 'a satisfying end to an overall satisfactory year' and believes the team is moving in the right direction.
AdvertisementMatthaus insists Germany shouldn't fear Europe's top teams
Despite recent setbacks, the former Germany captain believes the team still belongs among the contenders. In his column for , the 64-year-old argued that qualifying form should not be overanalysed, pointing out that even successful German teams in the past had difficult campaigns.
"With all due respect to these opponents, Germany wants to compete against the best, and those are the other group winners such as England, Portugal or France," he said.
"If we can replicate what we showed in Leipzig, we're on par with these teams. We saw that in the summer. In the Nations League defeats against Portugal and France, Germany wasn't any worse than their opponents.
"If the German team shows the same attitude and passion and plays together like they did against Slovakia, they have nothing to fear.
"You shouldn't underestimate yourself. Germany isn't small. I've always said that our team belongs among the favorites for the World Cup, even if they've had a poor run of form. Our World Cup qualifying campaigns were also sometimes bumpy in the past.
"The German team might even be under less pressure at the World Cup. The team will be even more focused next year, especially because the whole world will be watching."
Getty ImagesInjuries remain a concern despite strong squad depth
Matthaus also spoke about the squad heading into 2026. Several key players like Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Antonio Rudiger and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are still working their way back to full fitness and may not be ready right away.
"Rudiger needs to get fit first, just like Ter Stegen. Oliver Baumann will remain in goal for the time being, and then we'll see what happens next," he said.
He mentioned that no one in the squad has a guaranteed starting spot, adding: "Even in the current national team, there are hardly any irreplaceable players; no one has a guaranteed spot. This keeps the focus high until the World Cup, and everyone will give their all to impress the coach.."
The World Cup winner believes this gives the German coach more flexibility as the tournament approaches. "The great thing for Nagelsmann is that he'll have a wide selection next year. For a coach, it's the most wonderful thing when he can bring quality after quality player into the team."
Getty ImagesWhat's next for Germany?
Germany now shift their attention to preparations for 2026, with Nagelsmann hoping to have key players return from injury soon. Ter Stegen is nearing a comeback from knee surgery after missing most of last season, and the Barcelona captain could even consider a loan move in January to get more playing time before the tournament.
Defender Rudiger has also said he is in the final phase of his recovery after being sidelined with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Musiala has returned to Bayern Munich training after suffering a ligament dislocation during a heavy collision in the Club World Cup against PSG.
