Germany's Nagelsmann Urges Patience, Trust Ahead of World Cup Clash

"Need to trust our own strengths": Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann ahead of FIFA World Cup

Berlin, June 2

In an interview with DFB.de, Nagelsmann said Germany showed flashes of quality in the win but stressed the need for greater patience and composure in front of goal.

"There are never games where everything is perfect. The first 15 minutes were outstanding, but then the lads were so desperate to score that they became impatient. It was much better in the second half. We need to trust our own strengths more in those moments. We have so many good footballers who are always up for it, but sometimes they're too eager. I don't want to rein them in, but channel that energy in the right direction," Germany's head coach said.

Nagelsmann also confirmed that Havertz will link up with the squad directly in the United States, expressing confidence that the forward will play an important role during the World Cup campaign.

"Kai will join us directly in the USA. He's raring to go. We need Kai, and his goal in the Champions League final was extraordinary. You saw how important he is, how hard he works defensively and how strong he is in the air, including defending set pieces. He's a very good person, a really good guy and a top player. He will put in good performances," the head coach said.

Germany will conclude their preparations with a friendly against co-hosts the United States in Chicago before beginning their World Cup campaign.

Looking ahead to the fixture, Nagelsmann highlighted the significance of the occasion and said the match would help his players acclimatise to the atmosphere they can expect during the tournament.

"It will be a very emotional game in a city that isn't hosting a World Cup match, against the co-hosts in their final friendly. As a country, it has been a long time since they have experienced similarly big games - probably since 1994. There isn't an obvious tactical plan there that reflects one of our group opponents in particular. It's more about absorbing the emotion and arriving at the tournament," Nagelsmann said.

Germany's World Cup 2026 squad

Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann, Manuel Neuer, Alexander Nubel

Defenders: Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, Joshua Kimmich, David Raum, Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, Malick Thiaw

Midfielders: Nadiem Amiri, Leon Goretzka, Pascal Gross, Lennart Karl, Jamie Leweling, Jamal Musiala, Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leroy Sane, Angelo Stiller, Florian Wirtz

Forwards: Maximilian Beier, Kai Havertz, Deniz Undav, Nick Woltemade.

— ANI