Nagelsmann surprised: New World Cup role for Leon Goretzka? | OneFootball

Leon Goretzka could take on a much more attacking role at the 2026 World Cup than he has been used to recently. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann surprisingly brought the FC Bayern midfielder into play as an option for the position behind the strikers

While the German national team prepares for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in Herzogenaurach, Julian Nagelsmann continues to work on the final personnel and tactical details. The situation in central midfield is particularly exciting

With Aleksandar Pavlovic, Felix Nmecha, Angelo Stiller, Pascal Groß and Nadiem Amiri, the national coach has numerous options at his disposal. For the test match against Finland, Nagelsmann has already indicated that Pavlovic and Nmecha initially have the best cards

Nagelsmann sees Goretzka as more offensive

Despite the strong competition, Leon Goretzka does not have to worry about his role. On the contrary

At the press conference ahead of the Finland game, Nagelsmann revealed that he does not see the Bayern professional exclusively as a central midfielder. „Definitely, Leon is an option for the ten. He has already scored a few goals in training and makes a good impression,“ explained the national coach

This opens up an additional perspective for Goretzka in the DFB team. His dynamism, goal threat and ability to repeatedly push forward into dangerous areas could be particularly valuable in the attacking midfield position

More goals from midfield needed

photo: IMAGO

Nagelsmann’s main concern at the moment is the question of how Germany should score goals at the World Cup. „In the end, the question is: do we have a classic striker who can score seven, eight or nine goals at the World Cup – or do we divide the task of scoring goals between several shoulders, as we did at the European Championship,“ explained the 38-year-old

The tendency currently seems to be clear: the national coach is relying on flexibility and as many goal-scoring players as possible

„We have many players who can score three or four goals in the tournament and also provide assists. Our idea is to spread this task across several players,“ emphasized Nagelsmann

Advantage in the competition?

This approach could prove to be a decisive advantage for Goretzka

Compared to many of his rivals in midfield, the 31-year-old has an exceptional finishing ability, regularly penetrating the penalty area and scoring important goals – a quality that has already set him apart at FC Bayern over the years

If Nagelsmann does indeed rely more on flexible attacking players, Goretzka could gain valuable minutes both in the center and in the ten-man position

This would give the Bayern star an additional opportunity to play an important role at the World Cup – even if the competition in midfield is currently greater than ever.