Suche
Kimmich and Nagelsmann: On to the first hurdle in Bratislava!
Germany will meet Slovakia in the first World Cup qualifying game in Bratislava on September 4th, 2025. Coach Nagelsmann is aiming for an away win.
Kimmich and Nagelsmann: On to the first hurdle in Bratislava!
The German national soccer team's first World Cup qualifier against Slovakia is in Bratislava. Kick-off will take place at 8:45 p.m. National coach Julian Nagelsmann has clear demands: These first tests to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup should lay the foundation for a successful campaign. This World Cup will take place next year in Canada, Mexico and the USA, and Germany is climbing into the ring full of hope after its last unsuccessful appearance in the Nations League fr.de reported.
The fans are expecting an exciting opening game, as the German team is under pressure to get their first away win after their great disillusionment in the Nations League. “We definitely want to win!” said Nagelsmann, who wants to provide new impetus with a mix of three and four at the back. Joshua Kimmich will play in this central role - the captain already has special memories of the meeting with Slovakia, when he suffered a rather painful 1:3 on his debut in 2016.
Positioning and strategy
It will be seen on the pitch how the changes bear fruit. Nnamdi Collins from Eintracht Frankfurt could play in defense, while the line-up looks like this:
| Slovakia | Germany |
|---|---|
| Dubravka | Baumann |
| Pekarik | Collins |
| Skriniar | Tah |
| Obert | Rüdiger |
| Hancko | Middle town |
| Lobotka | Kimmich |
| Hrosovsky | Stiller |
| Duda | Goretzka |
| Schranz | Gnabry |
| Bozenik | Wirtz |
| Strelec | Woltemade |
Not to forget the critical voices after past performances. Nagelsmann notes that his team's mentality was questioned in the last Nations League. The German players know they have to turn things around and cannot afford any excuses, even if some key players such as Marc-André ter Stegen, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz are missing.
Goals and challenges
The path to the 2026 World Cup leads over several hurdles. Germany not only has to play against Slovakia, but also against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland Sports show notes. It is very clear that Nagelsmann is not just speculating on a successful qualification, but has his sights firmly set on the World Cup title.
“The structure is important,” says Kimmich, “What counts is that we all do our best to achieve the goal.” First of all, the team wants to start the qualification phase with a positive experience. And that now begins with the first big task in Bratislava, where referee Gözübüyük from the Netherlands will officiate the game.
The beginnings have been made and the tension is rising. A victory could be the first step on the long road to the World Cup, which begins on June 11, 2026. Fans and players are eagerly awaiting the next development, which may bring a new optimism back to German football, as is the draw for the further course of the qualification, which took place last week and was personally followed by Julian Nagelsmann.
It remains to be seen how the DFB team will perform and what lessons can be learned from the past to make this World Cup qualification a success story like this DFB emphasized. Eyes are now on Bratislava!