Schweinsteiger praises Musiala: “I’ve been missing something like this for a long time” | OneFootball

The German national team’s early exit from the 2026 World Cup continues to be a topic of discussion in German soccer. Now, two DFB legends—Bastian Schweinsteiger and Oliver Kahn—have spoken out critically about the team’s performance and conduct—with Jamal Musiala coming under particular scrutiny.

The 3–4 loss on penalty kicks to Paraguay in the round of 32 marked yet another disappointing chapter for the German national team. Following their third consecutive World Cup failure, the discussion about the team’s mentality and leadership qualities is growing increasingly intense.

In an interview with BILD, Bastian Schweinsteiger made it clear that what he felt was missing most during the tournament were true leaders. The 2014 World Cup champion singled out only Joshua Kimmich and Felix Nmecha for praise.

Schweinsteiger feels Musiala lacks aggressiveness

The former Bayern captain was particularly critical of Jamal Musiala. His criticism focused less on Musiala’s soccer skills and more on his demeanor on the field. “I find it telling that Musiala’s best moment wasn’t until a sliding tackle in the round of 32 against Paraguay. I’ve missed that kind of thing for a long time,” Schweinsteiger explained.

The 41-year-old was particularly bothered by how Musiala handled the numerous fouls committed by his opponents. In Schweinsteiger’s view, the attacking player repeatedly accepted a handshake from his opponents even after repeated rough challenges.

He therefore addressed Oliver Kahn with a rhetorical question: “Olli, I’ll ask you this: Would you have shaken your opponent’s hand after he fouled you for the fourth time?”

Kahn calls for more German leaders

Photo: IMAGO

The former national team goalkeeper’s response was unequivocal. Laughing, Kahn replied, “You didn’t really mean that question seriously, did you?”

The former Bayern executive then broadened his criticism to German soccer as a whole: “It starts right there with the Bundesliga clubs. When I look at the German clubs, I ask myself: Which German players actually take on lasting responsibility on the field there?”

Schweinsteiger also sees this as one of the national team’s main problems. “Whether at Bayern or on the national team, I always knew who my leaders were. If you have true leaders, you don’t get eliminated twice in the group stage of a World Cup and then again in the round of 32.”

The statements by the two World Cup champions show just how intensely the analysis of this latest World Cup debacle continues. While a new era is beginning at the DFB with Jürgen Klopp, Schweinsteiger and Kahn believe that Germany will only be able to rejoin the world’s elite if more leadership and the right mentality are once again evident on the field.