Germany begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday night with a trip to Bratislava, where they’ll face Slovakia in a match that feels like the perfect opportunity to set the tone for the road ahead. For a team with Germany’s pedigree of four World Cups and three European Championships, qualification is always expected. But Julian Nagelsmann’s men know they have a point to prove after some inconsistent recent results.
Softfootball understands that Die Mannschaft arrive ranked ninth in the world and overwhelming favourites to top their group. Their World Cup qualifying record is one you can easily ignore, having won their last seven games, five of them with clean sheets, and an incredible 18 consecutive wins on the road in qualifiers.
In those away games, they’ve averaged more than three goals per match, a reminder of how ruthless the German national team can be when the stakes are high, and german fans would love to see this continue
Nagelsmann has blended experience with freshness in his latest squad. Antonio Rüdiger returns to marshal the defence, bringing experience and leadership at the back; the German coach also handed call-ups to three uncapped players, goalkeeper Finn Dahmen, defender Nnamdi Collins, and midfielder Paul Nebel, showing his intentions to prepare for the future. Even with a lot of big names missing through injury, including Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, and Marc-André ter Stegen, Germany can still boast of quality across their forward line.
Meanwhile, German national football team, via its official X handle couldnt hide its excitement as its 2026 World Cup Qualifying Campaign starts today. see below;
The challenge comes from a Slovakia side that are no strangers to causing problems, but their recent form hardly shows a team that breathes confidence. They’ve gone four games without a win and haven’t scored more than one in any of their last six matches. Against a German side with their level of attacking players, that lack of cutting edge could prove costly.
History also leans in Germany’s favour. Since Slovakia became independent, the two nations have met six times, with Germany winning four and taking all three competitive encounters. These fixtures often deliver goals, with the last four clashes all producing at least three, and Germany will back themselves to keep that trend alive.
All eyes will be on Liverpool’s high-profile summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, Florian Wirtz, to provide the spark in attack. The Bayer Leverkusen star has a habit of scoring Germany’s opening goal and will be eager to make his mark again. With Rüdiger steadying the defence and Nagelsmann’s side hungry to make a statement, Germany head into this match not just looking for three points, but for a performance that sets the tone for their road to 2026.
