Germany is shocked by a historic loss to Slovakia in the World Cup qualifiers
The German national team had a disastrous start to their journey in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, after suffering a deserved defeat of 2-0 against Slovakia in Bratislava. This loss represents Germany's first defeat away from home in World Cup qualifying history, prompting coach Julian Nagelsmann to question the mentality of his players.
Just three months after the disappointment of the UEFA Nations League, the German national team appeared once again far from its level. The team looked disjointed and slow, and was lucky to come out of the first half trailing by only one goal. But a second goal from David Strelets, who outperformed Antonio Rüdiger, sealed the well-deserved victory for Slovakia and revealed the lack of fighting spirit among the Germans.
Despite the huge deals this summer, such as the transfers of Nik Völkmaide and Florian Wirtz for 210 million euros, the German attack failed to make any impact. Defender Jonathan Tah admitted after the match that the team was weak in all aspects, saying: "We lacked everything, with the ball and without it, in transitions and defense. Our performance was very weak."
Coach Nagelsmann appeared extremely angry, criticizing the lack of emotion and motivation among his players. He said, "Our opponents outperformed us emotionally by a large margin," adding that every match should be played with the mentality of a Champions League semi-final. For his part, captain Joshua Kimmich confirmed that the problem is not about the system or tactics, but about mentality, which is the same crisis that has emerged in recent matches.
The match also highlighted Germany's ongoing struggles at right-back. Newcomer Nnamdi Collins struggled in his international debut, both defensively and offensively, before being substituted at halftime. His replacement, David Raum, made little impact, while Kimmich remained in midfield despite calls to move him back to defense. This match showed that the wing-back crisis in the German national team is still far from resolved.
The German national team will face Northern Ireland in Cologne on Sunday, in a match that has suddenly become crucial for regaining confidence and maintaining hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.