Germany's striker problem: Can Die Mannschaft go deep at World Cup 2026?

Ahead of Germany's opening fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Curacao, Sports Mole elder newsman Matt Law assesses Die Mannschaft's chances of lifting the trophy and examines the striker options that could specify their campaign.

Germany footwear disconnected their 2026 World Cup run contiguous against Group E debutants Curacao successful Houston, and the temper astir Die Mannschaft has seldom felt much optimistic since their past triumph successful Brazil 12 years ago. 

With Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala providing creativity successful abundance and Julian Nagelsmann's broadside having recovered impressively from an aboriginal qualifying defeat, the level is acceptable for a heavy tally successful North America. Yet a cardinal question remains — and it rests, arsenic it truthful often has successful caller years, astatine centre-forward.

In presumption of the wide pecking bid heading into this tournament, Germany beryllium successful the radical beneath the genuine elite. 

"I deliberation they're successful that radical down the apical six, with Belgium, Netherlands, etc." There is nary denying, however, that the signs heading successful person been encouraging. "Their signifier is truly good."

History connected their broadside and against them

To disregard Germany arsenic thing little than a superior proposition would beryllium to disregard 1 of planetary football's astir decorated records. 

"It's hard to ever telephone Germany underdogs, considering their affluent past successful World Cup football." 

A federation that has won the World Cup 4 times and reached the quarter-finals oregon amended successful 17 consecutive tournaments commands a basal level of respect that nary magnitude of caller turbulence tin wholly erode.

But that turbulence is real. "They're ever competitive, though they've been disappointed successful the past 2 World Cups." 

Group-stage exits successful Russia successful 2018 and Qatar successful 2022 represented a historical debased for a state that had travel to dainty the second stages arsenic thing adjacent to a birthright. The question present is whether this squad has capable astatine the crisp extremity to debar a 3rd consecutive aboriginal departure.

"It's conscionable that deficiency of prime successful the striker presumption erstwhile you deliberation astir the players they've had down the years: Klose, Gerd Muller, adjacent Podolski."