Germany lose key starter to injury for the rest of the Cup | OneFootball

Blow for Germany!

With an ankle injury, Nico Schlotterbeck is out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The news was first reported by Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg and later confirmed by Borussia Dortmund and the German Football Association (DFB).

The center-back suffered an injury to the medial ligament in his left ankle and will be sidelined from both the national team and his club for "several months."

Julian Nagelsmann also spoke on the DFB website:

"Schlotti will be greatly missed on the pitch as an exceptional defender, especially because of his excellent distribution from the back. This could have been his World Cup. We all tried to lift his spirits yesterday – fortunately, he is a very positive guy who is already looking ahead. It is a great sign that he will remain here with the group for the time being, as he also has an influence off the pitch."

With Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, Waldemar Anton and Malick Thiaw, the German national team remains well covered in that position.

Lars Ricken, a Dortmund executive, was quoted in the club's press release as follows:

"I feel very sorry for Nico, he was in excellent form and a key part of our national team's starting lineup. The fact that he is now out of the World Cup due to injury is a great shame and incredibly bitter. But Nico showed last year how he can come back even stronger after an injury. We are convinced he will do so again this time."

For now, Schlotterbeck will not leave the national team's camp and will remain in the United States.

After beating Ivory Coast, Germany lead Group E with 6 points and have already qualified.

The Africans are in second place with 3 points and still need to fight for qualification in the final round.

On Thursday the 25th, the teams return to action.

Germany will face Ecuador in New Jersey, while Ivory Coast will play Curaçao in Philadelphia.

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

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