Kimmich warns: World Cup title still a long way off for Germany | OneFootball

With a clear 4-0 victory against Luxembourg, the German national team has taken an important step in the World Cup qualification. After the disappointing start against Slovakia, Julian Nagelsmann's team showed significant improvement and took the lead in Group A with the win. However, Joshua Kimmich warns against falling into euphoria again.

The DFB team presented itself as focused, playful, and effective. Particularly Joshua Kimmich, who shone as a right-back and double scorer, as well as Serge Gnabry, who scored the 3-0, stood out.

After the match, there was great relief – but Kimmich warned against premature euphoria.

Kimmich: "World Cup title not really within reach yet"

National coach Nagelsmann had set a clear goal after last year's European Championship exit against Spain: Germany should compete for the World Cup title in 2026. But Kimmich currently does not see the team at this level.

"I think, at the moment, the World Cup title is not really within reach because we know we first have to qualify. Everyone must be aware of that," explained the Bayern star in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.

He emphasized that the path to a title is long and does not begin at the final tournament: "I have often said that the path to a title does not start with the first group match, but long before that. It's nice if everyone has the title as a goal in mind, but we should first focus on the upcoming games."

Focus on the next games

Kimmich's words reflect the new reality of the DFB: After years of setbacks and upheavals, the national team is once again at the beginning of a development process. The recent victories give hope, but consistency is still lacking.

The team agrees: The victory against Luxembourg was a step in the right direction – but nothing more. Now the full focus is on the next qualification match in Northern Ireland, where Nagelsmann's team must confirm its upward form.

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