Germany has struggled in the last few months. Julian Nagelsmann’s squad has lost a bit of hope from fans after a tough Nations League Finals at home in Munich. To make matters worse, Germany lost in their World Cup qualifying opening match, with a downright awful performance in Slovakia.
However, the win against Northern Ireland has kept Germany alive for another day. If Germany continues to win, they should be able to qualify for the World Cup within this current phase. However, slipping up again could mean Germany has to qualify through playoffs, causing serious risk of missing out of qualification.
Should they qualify directly, the path until the FIFA World Cup 2026 is now clear. Germany will play two friendly matches in the months leading up the the big tournament. One match against Côte D’Iovire and another against Finland, both on home soil (via @iMiaSanMia):
If they qualify directly for the World Cup without having to go through playoffs, and subject to the World Cup group stage draw in December, Germany will play two friendly games against current African champions Côte D’Ivoire, on March 30, 2026 in Stuttgart and against Finland on May 31, 2026 in Mainz as preparation for the World Cup.
It is nice to know what German fans can expect in the coming months, but anxiety will continue to increase until they directly qualify. While Julian Nagelsmann job is safe for now, losing in the October window might force the DFB to make a last minute change. At this point though, Germany still has promise with Nagelsmann at the helm, but things need to tighten up before they can seriously compete next year.