Germany´s focus on developing for 2026 World Cup, says Nagelsmann

Nagelsmann will use Germany’s final Nations League match against Hungary as the start of their 2026 World Cup preparation.

Germany had already qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League coming into this international break, but a 7-0 thrashing of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday ensured they would top the pile in Group A3.

In fact, that victory was the biggest by a team in the Nations League, while their 3.4 goals-per-game average in the current campaign is also the best by a team in a season in the competition.

Though qualification for the World Cup has not yet started, Nagelsmann is keen to maintain their momentum in their bid to book a place at the tournament.

“There is no great motivation as far as the group is concerned. We won the group. We get the motivation from wanting to develop,” he told a press conference on Monday.

“We do not have many matches until the World Cup but just a few. Little time to develop until the World Cup qualification and little time, if hopefully qualified, until the World Cup. So, there is limited time tolerance in terms of development.”

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Germany enter the last eight of the Nations League hoping to win their first silverware since their World Cup win in 2014.

They have exited the last two such tournaments in the group stage after disappointing campaigns, while they were knocked out of Euro 2024 at the quarter-finals stage on home soil.

However, they have impressed in the Nations League, going unbeaten across their first five games with four wins and a draw. Their 17 goals scored is a competition high, while only Spain (two) have conceded fewer than their three goals in League A.

“We don’t have time to waste,” Nagelsmann added. “That does not mean that everything has to work perfectly every time.

“Wins are always important for us. Nothing will collapse if we don’t win [on Tuesday]. The result is not as important as the way we will play.

“We don’t have the time we would like to develop, so we have to use it wisely.”