Experimentation plans revealed by Völler at DFB National Team
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen's club status remains uncertain, but German national team director Rudi Völler is hopeful that the 33-year-old will be the starting goalkeeper for Germany at the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The German national team's World Cup qualifiers will commence on September 4, 2022, in Slovakia. Captain Joshua Kimmich will be deployed in the defensive midfield position for the team. Other group opponents include Northern Ireland and Luxembourg.
Current preparations for the qualifiers involve regular training camps, competitive matches, and UEFA Nations League fixtures, with Julian Nagelsmann as the head coach working alongside Völler.
Völler has expressed a wish for Ter Stegen to regain fitness and become the starting goalkeeper for the national team, regardless of his club status. However, Ter Stegen has been demoted to number three at FC Barcelona and is expected to be out for several months following back surgery.
In his absence, Oliver Baumann is likely to start as the goalkeeper for the German national team at the beginning of the World Cup qualifiers. Völler has stated that match practice and fitness are prerequisites for Ter Stegen's participation in the World Cup.
Völler's comments indicate a potential change in the German national team's starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup, depending on Ter Stegen's fitness and recovery. However, no further details about experimental plans or specific player selections for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers have been disclosed.
Völler recently extended his contract as the director of the German national team until 2028, suggesting continuity in leadership. Bayer Leverkusen, where Völler is also involved as managing director, has emphasized retaining key players like Florian Wirtz for the next two years at least, indicating that young talents like Wirtz remain part of the national team pool.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Ter Stegen's participation, Völler is confident that the German national football team will perform well in the 2026 World Cup. He also mentioned that there are some nations that are "a bit further along" than Germany in their preparations for the tournament.
As the qualifiers approach, fans and football enthusiasts eagerly await further updates on the German team's plans and strategies for the 2026 World Cup.
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