In a significant blow to Germany's World Cup campaign, forward Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the 2026 tournament due to a thigh injury. The highly-rated 18-year-old suffered the setback during Germany's final training session before their warm-up game against co-hosts United States.
Karl, who plays for Bayern Munich, had started in Germany's recent friendly match against Finland. The game ended in a resounding 4-0 victory for the Germans, with Karl setting up one of the goals. His performance had raised hopes among fans and experts alike about his potential impact on the upcoming World Cup. However, this unfortunate injury means that he will now be replaced by RB Leipzig’s Assan Ouedraogo.
Julian Nagelsmann, Germany manager, said:
"I feel incredibly sorry for Lenny,. It's a huge shock for him and all of us that he's missing the World Cup. It's only a small consolation that he's young and has many tournaments ahead of him. We would have loved to have him on the team.
"With Assan Ouedraogo, we're now getting a player who, like Lenny, had a fantastic start with us. He's also highly talented and we expect him to play with courage and freedom."
Last warm-up game before World Cup
The game against the United States is particularly crucial as it is Germany’s last before they kick off their World Cup campaign on June 14th against Curacao. This makes Karl’s absence even more impactful as Coach Nagelsmann would have hoped to finalize his team dynamics ahead of this important fixture.
Following their opening match against Curacao, Nagelsmann's side will face further challenges in Group E games. They are set to play Ivory Coast on June 20th and Ecuador on June 25th. These matches will test the depth and resilience of the German squad without one of its promising young talents.
Lennart Karl’s exclusion from the squad due to injury is undoubtedly a setback for Germany ahead of an important tournament like the World Cup. However, it also provides an opportunity for players like Assan Ouedraogo to step up and make their mark on international football. Despite this loss, fans can still look forward with anticipation as they watch how the German team navigates the challenges of Group E and beyond in the 2026 World Cup.
