According to Sky Sports, German defender Nico Schlotterbeck will miss the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to a severe injury.
The Borussia Dortmund star was substituted at halftime during Germany’s recent match against Ivory Coast after sustaining a worrying ankle injury.
Medical examinations and scans conducted over the past few hours confirmed the severity of the injury. Schlotterbeck will require several weeks of rehabilitation before returning to competitive football.
Reflecting the gravity of the injury, the 25-year-old has been officially ruled out for the rest of the tournament, meaning he will miss the World Cup final on July 19th, even if Germany reaches it.
His absence is a massive blow to manager Julian Nagelsmann, who will now rely heavily on Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger to anchor the defense.
Consequently, Germany is left with only three fit center-backs: Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, and Waldemar Anton—whom Nagelsmann originally planned to utilize as a backup right-back.
Germany has already secured the top spot in their group following back-to-back victories over Curaçao and Ivory Coast. The Mannschaft will wrap up the group stage against Ecuador next week.
