Germany vs. Curacao: Why Liverpool's Florian Wirtz will be key for Julian Nagelsmann's side in World Cup 2026 Group E opener

World Cup 2026 is good and genuinely underway, and European giants Germany are acceptable to participate the ringing connected Sunday erstwhile they look Group E competitors Curacao astatine Houston Stadium.

Julian Nagelsmann's DFB-Team are hoping to amusement their progress connected the planetary signifier aft disappointing finishes successful the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and the erstwhile Bayern Munich manager surely has the endowment astatine his disposal to marque a people connected the tournament.

For example, Germany are blessed with an attacking radical that fewer nations tin match, arsenic Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz look acceptable to propulsion the strings for the four-time satellite champions this summer.

Wirtz successful peculiar stands retired successful planetary clashes, notably much truthful than helium did for Liverpool nether Arne Slot successful 2025-26.

Here, up of their World Cup 2026 opener, Sports Mole takes a look astatine wherefore the 23-year-old Reds prima is Germany's cardinal man, and wherefore helium shines brighter for his state than his club.

Why is Florian Wirtz the main antheral for Julian Nagelsmann's Germany?

Wirtz made a sanction for himself successful the Bundesliga, becoming the division's youngest-ever goalscorer earlier going connected to gain galore subordinate of the twelvemonth awards for his relation successful Bayer Leverkusen's resurgence and unprecedented invincible play successful 2023-24.

However, portion Premier League fans person often hailed the £116m-man arsenic a centre-attacking midfielder, Wirtz has spent the amended portion of his vocation coming disconnected the near of the frontline.

Under Xabi Alonso, the playmaker was often tasked with facilitating for strikers specified arsenic Patrik Schick and Victor Boniface, progressing the shot up the left-hand broadside of the transportation earlier uncovering his mode into the container himself.

Given however Wirtz roseate to prominence, helium is simply a earthy acceptable for Nagelsmann's 4-2-3-1 system, wherever helium slots into the near midfield relation arsenic portion of an attacking trio with Musiala successful the centre, Leroy Sane connected the close and Havertz up top.

This presumption allows the 23-year-old to find pockets of abstraction connected the near flank earlier linking defence to onslaught oregon cutting wrong to present a deadly transverse oregon changeable himself.

Such is Wirtz's interaction for Germany that helium was capable to container 2 goals and 2 assists successful a 4-3 comeback triumph implicit Switzerland successful March, having already teed up Sane doubly successful spectacular manner during DFB-Team's erstwhile outing - a 6-0 demolition of Slovakia successful their last World Cup qualifier.

If Nagelsmann tin support his prima playmaker successful signifier this summer, past his quality to some enactment arsenic the side's fulcrum arsenic good arsenic alteration games with a infinitesimal of magic volition beryllium a decisive origin successful conscionable however acold Germany tin spell astatine World Cup 2026.

Why did Florian Wirtz conflict for Liverpool nether Arne Slot?

However, specified gripping performances from the planetary signifier person not yet materialised astatine nine level for Liverpool, and fans and pundits alike were often near wondering what the Reds paid a nine-figure interest for past season.

Wirtz racked up 16 goals and 14 assists during his last run with Leverkusen, and though nonstop contributions are not the lone mode to measurement a player's output, a instrumentality of 7 goals and 7 assists crossed each competitions successful 2025-26 near overmuch to beryllium desired.

One of the astir communal criticisms levied astatine the German planetary was regarding his deficiency of carnal power, a trait that is important for Premier League football, and the subordinate himself admitted a play of adaptation was indispensable arsenic helium enactment connected astir 4 kilograms of musculus implicit the aboriginal months of the campaign.

Wirtz besides ranked amongst the apical 10 midfielders successful the English apical formation for sprinting region covered per 90 minutes past season, and finished conscionable shy of the apical 10 for wide region covered per 90.

With that successful mind, it is hard to reason that the erstwhile Leverkusen man's strife has been down to a deficiency of effort, and determination is anticipation connected Merseyside that caller brag Andoni Iraola tin get the champion retired of Wirtz.

Slot's squad notably struggled with shot progression from heavy areas, starring to Wirtz often being under-utilised by the Reds during 2025-26, but with adept passers Joshua Kimmich and Nico Schlotterbeck successful the nationalist side's backline, Germany does not person to contend with that issue.

It is notable that Nagelsmann has repeatedly defended his playmaker successful property conferences, plainly calling comments from pundits specified arsenic Gary Neville - who described the 23-year-old arsenic 'like a small boy' - 'unjustified'.

Wirtz besides highlighted successful the aftermath of his man-of-the-match-worthy show against Switzerland backmost successful March that his talks with the Germany manager helped him to flooded a hard commencement to beingness astatine Liverpool:

"[Nagelsmann] told maine that it is besides bully that things don't ever spell upwards; that you besides person a dent erstwhile successful a portion and go stronger due to the fact that of it. That's however I spot it now, that it has made maine a spot stronger."

Slot's man-management was repeatedly called into question during his two-year tenure astatine Anfield, and reports emerged aft his sacking that a fig of players successful the dressing country felt their narration with the brag was strained.

Perhaps having the steadfast enactment of Nagelsmann serves arsenic a boost for Wirtz, whose flair and penchant for taking risks connected the shot necessitate a level of assurance to propulsion off.

Check retired Sports Mole's video preview for Germany vs. Curacao: