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Fresh updates have surfaced ahead of Germany’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann’s official announcement for the 2026 World Cup squad, shedding light on which VfB Stuttgart players are set to make the cut.

As per reports from Sky, Nagelsmann has already communicated his selection decisions to all VfB Stuttgart players who were being considered for the national team. Three players—Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling, and Angelo Stiller—have reportedly been included in the final list.

The inclusion of Angelo Stiller comes as a surprise to many, particularly given his earlier challenges under Nagelsmann. During the World Cup qualifiers, Stiller started only once, in the opening 2-0 defeat to Slovakia, and was omitted from the final two qualifying matches.

Stiller was only called up to the most recent training camp as a last-minute replacement for injured players Felix Nmecha and Aleksandar Pavlovic. Speaking in mid-March, Nagelsmann had said, “He’s a remarkable footballer with tremendous potential and consistently strong performances, but he’s competing with Pavlo, whom I currently see slightly ahead of him. Especially for certain tactical reasons, I don’t see Angelo in the starting eleven right now, which is why we chose to fill those positions differently.”

However, Stiller’s performances against Switzerland and Ghana turned the tide in his favour. After earning direct praise from Nagelsmann for those displays, the midfielder has now secured his ticket to the World Cup.

In contrast, two players who were part of Germany’s Euro 2022 squad—Maximilian Mittelstädt and Chris Führich—will not be heading to North America with the national team this time.

Nagelsmann seems to be placing trust in other options. Führich and Mittelstädt both featured in the squad for the home European Championship, but their roles have since been reassessed. Mittelstädt, who was part of the extended first-team setup during and after the tournament, has now lost out to David Raum, who is expected to be a regular starter at the World Cup. The coach also intends to rotate the backup left-back position. While Mittelstädt has regained his place in VfB’s starting lineup, he was left out of Germany’s last three training camps. Instead, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown is now set to travel as Raum’s deputy.

Meanwhile, Chris Führich had made a strong case for himself with four goals and four assists in the Bundesliga since February. Like Stiller, he was brought into the March training camps as a late substitute. His appearance against Ghana marked his first international outing since the 1-1 Nations League draw with Hungary on 19 November 2024.

“He’s in such exceptional form. He has to be on the World Cup roster,” former German international and TV analyst Dietmar Hamann had argued on Sky in early May. But Nagelsmann appears to have chosen a different path.

Another VfB Stuttgart player could still face disappointment. As reported by the Abendzeitung, Alexander Nübel’s position may be in jeopardy with Manuel Neuer’s anticipated return. Their reportedly strained relationship from their Bayern Munich days could influence the final goalkeeping selection.