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Lennart Karl has officially been ruled out of representing the German national team at the 2026 World Cup due to injury.

One of Germany’s most exciting young prospects for the 2026 World Cup, the 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl, will not be able to take part after suffering an unfortunate injury.

Karl had earned his place in Germany’s official World Cup squad following a stellar season with Bayern Munich during the 2025–2026 campaign.

Born on 22 February 2008, Karl recorded 9 goals and 8 assists across 40 appearances in all competitions.

German media outlets had dubbed him the “new Mesut Özil” because of his intelligence on the ball and impressive goal-and-assist contributions.

Primarily playing as a No.10, Karl also showed versatility by performing effectively on the wings.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann’s decision to call him up was widely praised, as Karl’s adaptability offered valuable depth across multiple attacking positions.

However, just about a week before the 2026 World Cup kick-off, it was confirmed that Lennart Karl would not be joining Die Nationalmannschaft.

The young star sustained an injury during a training session on Friday (5 June 2026) in Illinois, ahead of Germany’s final warm-up match against the United States.

Nagelsmann initially hoped that Karl’s injury was minor and that he could remain with the team.

“Unfortunately, Lenni suffered an injury today,” Nagelsmann said, as quoted from the official Bundesliga website.

“We have to wait and see how the situation develops.”

“Honestly, Lenni’s condition doesn’t look good. But I ask for a bit of patience from everyone. We will conduct further tests.”

“Before making any decisions, we need some time to process this situation.”

In the early hours of Saturday (local time in Germany), bad news arrived for the national team.

Medical examinations revealed that Karl had suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh.

As a result, Nagelsmann was forced to remove the young prodigy from the World Cup squad.

“I feel truly sorry for Lenny,” the coach said.

“With his attitude, creativity, pace, and personality, he fit perfectly into the team.”

“It’s a huge and unpleasant surprise for him and for us that Lenny will miss the World Cup.”

“The only consolation is that he’s still young and will have many more tournaments ahead of him.”

According to FIFA regulations, Germany is allowed to call up a replacement player.

Nagelsmann has selected Assan Ouedraogo from RB Leipzig to take Karl’s place.

The 20-year-old Ouedraogo made his senior debut for Germany on 17 November last year and immediately scored in their 6–0 victory over Slovakia.

The former Schalke 04 player was praised for his performance, and Nagelsmann expressed confidence in his abilities.

“With Assan, we are bringing in a player who, like Kenny, has made a perfect start with us,” Nagelsmann added.

“He is also very talented, and we want him to play with courage, freedom, and confidence.”