BVB and Germany: Playmaker Julian Brandt facing crucial weeks | OneFootball

He is the longest-serving player at BVB among the established forces. Since 2019, Julian Brandt has been a Dortmund Borusse. Undoubtedly, the 48-time German international is highly talented. And yet, Julian Brandt is currently not even a regular starter under Niko Kovac. The Sportschau examines Brandt's status quo and prospects for the near future.

Julian Brandt has not been used in the Bundesliga three times this season, even though he was neither injured nor suspended. Additionally, there are two absences due to injuries. This results in the offensive player participating in only 16 out of 21 possible matches this 2025/26 season. At least in the Cup and Champions League, Brandt was on the field every time he wasn't injured, although rarely for 90 minutes.

His contract with BVB expires this summer. If he wants to stay in Dortmund, he would need to push himself more into the spotlight, according to Michael Burchartz at Sportschau. And then there's the World Cup in the summer of 2026 in Canada, Mexico, and the USA. Brandt's last international match was almost a year and a half ago. In the 1-1 draw against Hungary in November 2024, national coach Julian Nagelsmann used him and has since refrained from his services, after he was not part of the squad for the Euro 2024.

Photo: IMAGO

Lots of Competition at BVB and DFB

Currently, Brandt is playing a "good, but not outstanding season," it continues. In his sixteen Bundesliga appearances, he has eight scorer points, which is not a bad rate, as he rarely has the full 90 minutes to make an impact.

However, this is a disadvantage compared to the competition in the national team for a World Cup ticket. Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz, and Jamal Musiala are playing more important roles in their clubs. All three are likely set for the World Cup squad. In contrast, Brandt shows a certain stagnation, albeit at a relatively high level. Coincidentally, with the next BVB opponent Mainz, another rival emerges for Brandt: Nadiem Amiri recently surpassed Brandt in terms of goal threat. With Assan Ouedraogo and Said El Mala, there are additional contenders.

And the internal club competition hasn't even been mentioned yet. Felix Nmecha and Karim Adeyemi could also be the players the coach chooses over Brandt—whether that coach is Nagelsmann or Kovac. For Brandt, the rest of the season means weeks of truth, both at the club and in the question of whether he will play another major tournament with the World Cup 2026.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.