🧐 First a row, now in the starting XI? This Germany star splits opinion! | OneFootball

The really big surprises were no longer part of it when Julian Nagelsmann announced his squad for the 2026 World Cup last Thursday. Quite a few eager journalists had already “leaked” several days earlier that Manuel Neuer would return to the German goal.

Leroy Sané’s nomination can hardly be described as a sensation either. After a brief pause for thought last autumn, the speedy winger was back in the squad during the last two international breaks. He even started in three of the four matches. Even so, his World Cup call-up did not trigger a wave of enthusiasm. On the contrary: no other name was debated more fiercely on social media after the squad announcement.

That is nothing new in Sané’s case. The 30-year-old is (unintentionally) as polarizing as almost no other Germany international in recent years. Ironically, he at least partly has the man who has been standing in front of him like a shield for months to thank for that. That man is, of course, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Nagelsmann causes confusion with Sané comments

Last year, he publicly challenged his protégé. When Sané left Bayern Munich and joined Galatasaray in the Turkish Süper Lig instead, the 38-year-old made it pretty clear what he thought of that decision.

Nagelsmann demanded that his player stand out on the Bosporus and produce “a certain quota” of goals and assists in order to recommend himself for the national team. He then left Sané out of the DFB squad twice in a row.

And even when the Germany coach pardoned the right winger and brought him back into the team during the November internationals, it came with a clear message: “Leroy knows what is required, and he also knows that there are no longer countless chances to prove himself at national-team level, at least under my management.”  

📸 INA FASSBENDER - AFP or licensors

That proof of his ability now seems to have been delivered. Since the end of last year, Nagelsmann has suddenly pursued a completely different Sané policy. Although the Süper Lig player has probably not reached that “certain quota” of goal contributions with seven goals and five assists, the Germany coach now protects his player like a lioness protecting her cub.

Sané’s statistics and the fact that he is playing in a significantly weaker league are, if anything, barely an issue anymore. Instead, Nagelsmann repeatedly tries to put the admittedly excellent performance against Slovakia front and center. Even when Deniz Undav scored in the 2-1 friendly win over Ghana in March, the DFB coach seemed much more eager to highlight Sané’s assist than the goal itself. His experience and his “extremely close bond” with teammates such as Antonio Rüdiger and Jonathan Tah are also said to be factors that should not be underestimated.

A three-way battle for Germany’s right flank?

Fans naturally notice this inconsistency in communication. And along with his weak showing at Euro 2024 on home soil, it is one of the reasons why the Essen-born winger may have the worst public backing of any Germany international. Of course, Sané himself cannot be blamed at all for the national coach’s public appearances. But his own standing suffers from it nonetheless. So much so that a possible place in the starting lineup at the World Cup would be almost like a blank check for a shitstorm.

The thing is: Sané really does have a decent chance of going into the tournament as a starter. No position in the DFB team is as open as the right wing. While Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz are likely to have three of the four attacking spots locked up, Jamie Leweling, Lennart Karl and Sané are battling for the one remaining place out wide. 

Even though Nagelsmann recently admitted at the squad announcement press conference that Sané “may initially have more of a challenger role,” he will likely want to keep all options open until the opening match against Curaçao (14 June).

📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2026 Getty Images

Two more tests before things get serious

Not least for this reason, the upcoming tests against Finland and the USA are hugely important. In those matches, the Germany coach will try out quite a few attacking combinations in order to find the perfect partner for his established trio.

Good news for Sané: because Havertz will miss the Finland game due to the Champions League final the night before, there will be plenty of playing time available that Nagelsmann is likely to divide among the candidates for the starting eleven. If Sané, who is expected to begin as a substitute, makes an impression, he could immediately move into pole position in the battle for the remaining wing spot.

Because the recent renaissance of the Gala star has shown impressively how important performances in a Germany shirt are to the national coach. Chris Führich, on the other hand, saw the other side of that coin. Despite an outstanding second half of the Bundesliga season, the Stuttgart player was not nominated for the World Cup. Nagelsmann announced the news with the explicit explanation that the 28-year-old had still not shown enough in the national team.

But regardless of his competition and any possible starting-lineup role, it already seems clear that Sané will take on a fairly prominent role in the USA. “I’ve known him forever, I have a great connection with him, and I believe I can get the best out of him in such a way that by the end of the World Cup there will be clearly more positive voices about him than negative ones,” Nagelsmann explained. It would certainly be nice for the much-criticized Sané.

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

📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2026 Getty Images