World Cup nomination despite reserve role? This is what Matthäus thinks about Goretzka | OneFootball

Leon Goretzka is now just a supplementary player at FC Bayern – but Lothar Matthäus still believes he belongs in the World Cup squad

Leon Goretzka no longer plays the leading role at FC Bayern that he did in previous years. Under Vincent Kompany, the 31-year-old is mostly just a substitute and has lost his regular place in central midfield. With an eye on the 2026 World Cup, this development also seemed to affect his prospects in the DFB team

But Lothar Matthäus sees the situation completely differently. In BILD, the record-breaking international demonstratively backs the Bayern professional and makes a clear case for his nomination

„In my opinion, Leon is an integral part of the World Cup team or squad. Leon’s behaviour has been absolutely exemplary. He was told three times: ‚You can go, we don’t need you anymore‘, but he persevered. That’s his character. I’m convinced that Leon Goretzka is one of the players who will travel to America with Julian Nagelsmann and his coaching staff,“ said Matthäus

Nagelsmann continues to back Goretzka

For Matthäus, the focus is less on Goretzka’s current playing time at FC Bayern and more on his attitude and mentality. Despite being demoted, he has behaved professionally and has not caused any unrest. This is a decisive factor, especially in a tournament squad

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann had also recently emphasized that he was missing a physically strong, duel-ready six-man in the German midfield – especially with regard to header duels and presence in the penalty area. It is precisely this profile that Goretzka continues to bring with him

„We’re already missing a really stable, duel-strong six-man in Germany – also in the air,“ Nagelsmann explained to kicker. And he continued: „As things stand now, Leon Goretzka will have a good chance of playing and playing a similar role to the one he played in the World Cup qualifiers, despite less playing time at Bayern.“