Sammer on Musiala: Must not play „with a nail in his head“ | OneFootball

Jamal Musiala is one of the German national team’s greatest hopes for the 2026 World Cup. Despite fluctuating performances, Matthias Sammer firmly believes that the FC Bayern attacking player can become a decisive factor for the DFB team over the course of the tournament

Expectations of Jamal Musiala ahead of the World Cup are enormous. The 23-year-old has been regarded as one of the biggest talents in German soccer for years and, together with players such as Florian Wirtz, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Lennart Karl, is expected to make a long-term mark on the national team

However, the past few months have not always gone according to plan for the Bayern star. After his long injury break, Musiala has repeatedly struggled with fluctuations in form and has not yet been able to consistently reach his peak performance level

Nevertheless, the attacking player continues to enjoy the full confidence of many experts, one of whom is Matthias Sammer

In an interview with Sky, the former European champion and current TV pundit was extremely optimistic about the Bayern professional’s sporting future at the World Cup

„Physically fresher“: Sammer sees Musiala at an advantage

According to Sammer, Musiala could even benefit from his difficult season. „He could theoretically even make the difference because he is not as exhausted as one or two others after this season, but may also be physically fresher,“ explained the 57-year-old

In fact, Musiala has had to take repeated breaks in recent months due to his injury problems, and while many top players can look back on an extremely stressful season with numerous competitive matches, the Bayern star could go into the tournament with a little more physical freshness

Musiala also showed positive signs during the World Cup preparations, scoring in the convincing 4-0 win over Finland and gaining further confidence

For Sammer, this is an important signal: „He scored against Finland, he scored his goals, so he is gradually taking a step forward,“ emphasized the former Bayern professional

Sammer calls for patience and confidence

photo: Getty Images

Above all, Sammer believes one thing is crucial when dealing with Musiala: trust. „If a world-class player doesn’t have a nail in his head – and I’m totally convinced he doesn’t – then you should trust this player and support him,“ explained the Sky expert

In his opinion, both the coaching staff and his teammates should give Musiala the feeling that they are still fully behind him

„The coaching staff and his teammates should give him the feeling: Yes, we know it’s not yet 100 percent, but it will be. Go with it, we trust you. Trust us,“ said Sammer

Especially in a long tournament, such support can be crucial. The 57-year-old is convinced that Musiala can reach his top level over the course of the World Cup

„Then it could be – maybe not in the first tournament game, maybe in the second tournament game – that you say: Ah, okay, we’re through. Then comes the knockout phase and suddenly he shoots through the roof,“ predicted Sammer

For the former DFB sports director, it is therefore clear that Musiala currently deserves the support of everyone involved. „I am deeply convinced that Musiala deserves the support of the country – both internally and externally,“ he emphasized

From FC Bayern’s point of view, these words are a further sign of the importance Musiala now has in international soccer. If the attacking player really does hit top form at the World Cup, he could become one of the defining figures of the tournament – and carry Germany far.