Summer of DFB-Kickers: Celebration, Club Tournaments, U21-EM for Young Talents
A Hard-Hitting Extension for Footballers
After a tough third-place match against France in the Nations League, football players across the nation face an exhausting extension to their season. The highly anticipated Club World Cup, set to kick off in its expansive XXL format, is scheduled from June 15 to July 13 in the USA.
Looking ahead, Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade will hop on a flight post-France to join the German U21 squad, whose European Championship kicks off in Slovakia as early as Wednesday. The rest of the 24-man squad, coached by Julian Nagelsmann, can look forward to a much-needed vacation.
Nagelsmann won't favor Bayern players like captain Joshua Kimmich, new Munich player Jonathan Tah, or Borussia Dortmund professionals like Felix Nmecha or Waldemar Anton for the game against France (15:00 CET, RTL and DAZN).
Not Making Deals
"Nope, no secret deals with the clubs," Nagelsmann stated when queried. Previously, they'd discussed cautious player management, ensuring no mishaps. He stepped forward to protect Bayern's young star Jamal Musiala, Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger, and Kai Havertz, who only recently returned to club duty amidst the rush of the Premier League finale.
"It's not all about the Club World Cup but also about the coming season and World Cup qualifiers," the national coach clarified.
Health First
From injuries to fatigue, Nagelsmann believes "the lads have the fitness to face France and then jump into the Club World Cup." The coach has received no special requests nor plans to receive any in the near future. By September, however, he might reconsider as the German team will debut its World Cup qualifiers.
Dortmund's Pascal Groß shares a similar sentiment regarding the Club World Cup's new mega format featuring 32 clubs and a tantalizing prize money of one billion US dollars: "My mind isn't there yet. I'm generally open to the competition. I'll jet off to the States and play it by ear." But before that, Germany's got some unfinished business with France.
Reference: 1. https://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/news/fifa-club-world-cup-final-tournament-regulations 2. https://www.fcbayern.com/en/news/archive/detail/fcb-afd-hausankunft-fuer-k-o-runde-topstufe-4988673 3. https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/ bundesliga-international/club-world-cup-getting-bigger-2875725 4. https://www.whatahat.com/sports/football/clubs/31019841/fifa-club-world-cup-2025-2026 5. https://www.whatahat.com/sports/football/topscores/31019604/bundesliga-club-world-cup
Other sports, such as football, will face intense competition with the expansion of the Club World Cup. Julian Nagelsmann, the national coach, emphasized the importance of prioritizing the health and wellbeing of the players before participating in the Club World Cup and World Cup qualifiers.
