The 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe witnessed the first major surprise, when the venerable German national team suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Slovakia in the first round.
This defeat is historic by all standards for the Mannschaft, as it is the first time the German national team has ever lost to Slovakia in all the official and friendly matches they have played at various continental and international events.
This is also the first time in Germany’s history that it has lost its first World Cup qualifier since the 1930s, and only the second defeat in the long history of the Mannschaft in qualifying by more than one goal.
The defeat to Slovakia comes two months after Germany suffered two defeats in the UEFA Nations League against Portugal and France, marking the first time in the national team’s history that it has suffered three consecutive defeats.
Despite these defeats, Germany’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup remain intact. Julian Nagelsmann’s squad needs to win its remaining five matches to secure top spot and qualify, or finish second and reach the play-offs.
Germany will face Northern Ireland next Sunday at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, and during the next international break, they will face Luxembourg twice, both matches expected to be easy for Florian Wirtz’s teammates.
Coach Nagelsmann finds himself in a difficult position, with mounting criticism and doubts about his ability to lead Germany in the next World Cup. Meanwhile, calls are growing for Jürgen Klopp to take over the position to restore the glory that has eluded them for the past 10 years.
