Germany have been dealt a major setback ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after promising youngster Lennart Karl was ruled out of the tournament through injury.
The Bayern Munich midfielder suffered the injury during training on Friday while preparing with the national team in the United States.
Karl had earned a place in Julian Nagelsmann’s final 26-man squad following an impressive breakthrough season at Bayern Munich, where he registered five goals and five assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances.
The 18-year-old travelled with the squad to Chicago on Wednesday as Germany continued preparations for their final World Cup warm-up match against the United States.
However, concerns emerged after Karl was forced to leave training and undergo medical examinations at a local hospital.
Subsequent tests confirmed that the teenager had suffered torn muscle fibres in the front of his left thigh, ruling him out of the tournament before it has even begun.
Nagelsmann expressed his disappointment following the diagnosis, describing the injury as a significant loss for both the player and the team.
“I’m incredibly sorry for Lenny,” the Germany coach said.
“With his carefree attitude, creativity, pace and personality, he fitted into the team perfectly.
“It’s a huge shock for him and for all of us that he’ll miss the World Cup. The only small consolation is that he’s still young and has many tournaments ahead of him. We would have loved to have him with us in the squad.”
Karl’s absence is particularly unfortunate given the rapid progress he has made over the past year. Widely regarded as one of Germany’s brightest young talents, he had been expected to provide energy and creativity in midfield during the tournament.
Under FIFA regulations, teams are permitted to replace injured players before the start of the World Cup.
Germany have moved quickly to fill the vacancy by calling up RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouédraogo as Karl’s replacement.
Ouédraogo will now join the squad as Germany continue their preparations for the tournament, while Karl begins his recovery and turns his focus towards returning to action for Bayern Munich next season.
Although the teenager’s World Cup dream has been delayed, Germany remain confident that he will have many more opportunities to represent his country on the international stage in the years ahead.
