Top News

There will be no international friendlies before the World Cup, and Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly set to make another significant reversal regarding his World Cup squad selection.

Said El Mala is now expected to travel with the German national team to the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Bayern Munich's promising youngster Lennart Karl has also confirmed his place in the squad.

According to reports from the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and Bild, Germany’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann has personally informed 19-year-old 1. FC Köln forward Said El Mala that he will be part of the World Cup squad, even though he has yet to earn his first senior international cap.

Prior to Thursday’s official squad announcement, El Mala’s absence from the March friendlies had already stirred considerable debate. The young winger, one of the standout performers in the Bundesliga this season, had delivered outstanding goal-scoring displays for Köln. Nevertheless, that form was initially not enough to convince Nagelsmann to include him for the international fixtures against Ghana and Switzerland.

Nagelsmann defended his earlier decision to omit El Mala—while selecting Bayern’s emerging prospect Lennart Karl—stating that the Köln winger had not been receiving sufficient playing time under then-head coach Lukas Kwasniok, who has since left the club. The national boss also expressed doubts about El Mala’s defensive work rate.

“There’s a difference between being at Bayern and being at Köln. He just needs to play more regularly at Köln,” Nagelsmann explained in a widely discussed interview with kicker in early March. “This isn’t a criticism of Lukas Kwasniok, whom I consider a coach with strong tactical understanding, including defensively. El Mala needs to start every game for Köln, but he’s only getting about 50 per cent of the available minutes, which isn’t enough. That’s not on the coach, as many think—it’s on the player and his consistency when tracking back.”

During his debut Bundesliga season, El Mala has become a crucial figure for 1. FC Köln.

At the start of the season, Kwasniok frequently used El Mala as a substitute, even though his goals and assists were vital in keeping the team afloat in their relegation battle. Since Rene Wagner took charge at the end of March, the young forward has started every game, finishing his first top-flight campaign with 13 goals and five assists.

El Mala also impressed at the international youth level with Germany’s U21 team. Coach Antonio Di Salvo took advantage of his availability after Nagelsmann’s earlier omission, and El Mala helped the U21s secure a crucial win over Greece in a European Championship qualifier. Having recently lost his grandmother, he was visibly emotional after scoring. “When I scored, everything just came out. It was the most emotional moment of my life—I couldn’t hold it in any longer,” he said afterward.

With his recent call-up to the senior national team, El Mala may once again find himself overwhelmed by emotion when Germany begin their World Cup preparations.

Back in November, Nagelsmann had already invited El Mala for World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia but sent him back to the U21s without playing a single minute, as the youth side was in a must-win situation in their European qualifier against Georgia.

Meanwhile, Bayern’s rising star Lennart Karl will also feature at the World Cup. “He’s made a great impression among top players,” said Nagelsmann earlier this year.

Karl, unlike El Mala, already has senior international experience. He made his Germany debut in March, coming off the bench in the 4-3 win over Switzerland and again in the 2-1 victory against Ghana. “He made a great impression,” Nagelsmann said at the time. “He’s cheeky but humble, has a natural sense of positioning, and reads space exceptionally well. Among all the young talents we’ve called up over the years, he’s left the best impression,” the coach added.

This season, Karl has recorded nine goals and eight assists across 39 competitive appearances for Bayern Munich.