“Incomprehensible statement” rejected as Musiala’s Germany World Cup ambitions are made clear

Bayern Munich prima Jamal Musiala has insisted that helium wants to correspond Germany astatine the 2026 World Cup, rejecting proposal from legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

The 23-year-old playmaker has endured an injury-plagued 2025-26 play aft suffering a breached limb and dislocated ankle during the FIFA Club World Cup past July.

Musiala was sidelined for 196 days (almost 7 months) earlier making his long-awaited instrumentality to Vincent Kompany’s Bayern broadside connected January 17.

Having started lone 4 of his 14 appearances for the Bundesliga champions-elect this term, Musiala was near retired of Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad for March’s planetary interruption arsenic helium continues to beryllium his fittingness and physique up signifier astatine nine level.

Many German supporters are keen to spot Musiala play astatine this summer’s World Cup, but erstwhile Bayern CEO Kahn - a two-time World Cup runner-up - has advised the attacking midfielder to skip the tourney to assistance him instrumentality to the apical level.

“I deliberation helium should forgo going to the World Cup,” Kahn told Sky Deutschland on Friday. “If I consciousness that thing isn’t close successful my game, past I person to enactment connected myself to beryllium acceptable again.

“Jamal, similar everyone else, has to beryllium astatine 100% if helium wants to play.”

Matthaus slams Kahn’s “incomprehensible” Musiala World Cup statement

Kahn’s comments drew a beardown absorption from chap German icon Lothar Matthaus, who believes that Musiala tin beryllium a “very important” subordinate for the nationalist squad astatine the World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland connected Saturday, Matthaus said: "Oliver was personally liable astatine Bayern, lasting up for the squad and each player. Now he's successful a antithetic presumption and tells a subordinate 2 and a fractional months earlier the World Cup that helium should forgo the tournament.

"Oliver Kahn didn't adjacent miss a azygous grooming session. For me, that's an incomprehensible connection – ​​completely unnecessary."

The 1990 World Cup and Ballon d’Or victor added: “I americium convinced that - dissimilar Oliver Kahn - helium tin beryllium precise important for Germany astatine the World Cup.

"It's not the archetypal clip Oliver Kahn and I person had antithetic opinions."

Matthaus was speaking aft Musiala scored and provided an assistance crossed 84 minutes successful Bayern’s thumping 5-0 distant victory implicit St Pauli successful the Bundesliga.

After the match, Musiala said that helium was unaware of Kahn’s comments, and the 40-cap Germany planetary made it wide that helium is determined to unit his mode backmost into Nagelsmann’s squad for the World Cup.

Germany’s Musiala “definitely” wants to spell to 2026 World Cup

“I decidedly privation to spell to the World Cup!” Musiala told Sky Deutschland. “I didn't work what helium said, but I decidedly privation to spell to the World Cup.

“My absorption close present is connected helping FC Bayern triumph everything and past I privation to assistance my state successful the summer”.

Kompany has besides shared his thoughts connected Kahn’s proposal for Musiala to skip the World Cup, adding: “I saw Oliver Kahn successful grooming once. It was incredible. He would person travelled to the World Cup with a breached limb and a breached foot. That’s a compliment.”

“Jamal Musiala is not yet astatine his best, but that is normal. He is progressing,” the Bayern caput manager added. “Please beryllium diligent with him; helium is connected the close path. Today’s show was a measurement successful the close direction.”

Musiala, who is hoping to assistance Bayern triumph a memorable treble this term, is expected to beryllium progressive successful immoderate capableness erstwhile the Bavarian giants play big to Real Madrid successful the 2nd limb of their Champions League quarter-final necktie adjacent Wednesday.

Nagelsmann, meanwhile, volition corroborate his last Germany squad for the World Cup earlier the extremity of May, up of Group E fixtures against Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.