CHICAGO – As Germany makes its final preparations ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the four-time world champions find themselves navigating a dual narrative: a nine-match winning streak that has boosted momentum, and a devastating injury blow that has robbed the side of one of its most promising young talents.
The European side’s final pre-tournament friendly against the United States men’s national team at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Saturday played out without 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl, who suffered a thigh injury in training just one day before the fixture. Despite his absence, goals from attacking stars Leroy Sané and Kai Havertz secured a hard-fought 2-1 win for the 10th-ranked German side, extending their unbeaten run ahead of the tournament kickoff.
The joy of the warm-up win was quickly tempered by confirmation that Karl will miss the entire World Cup, a crushing setback for the teenager who just enjoyed a breakout 2024-25 season with Bayern Munich. During that campaign, Karl made club history by becoming Bayern Munich’s youngest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history, cementing his status as a key emerging talent for the national side.
German defender David Raum, who has shared both locker room and training ground moments with Karl, spoke openly about the loss following the victory against the USA. “It’s really tough. I had a good connection to Lenny. He’s a great guy, a very young talent,” Raum said. “We shared a lot of nice moments together even in this short time. I always played against him in training because he lines up on the right wing. We lose a good human being and an amazing player.”
Karl himself shared his heartbreak with fans via his official Instagram account, writing that missing the World Cup is “indescribably painful”. He added, “Unfortunately injuries often come at the unluckiest time,” a sentiment that has resonated with players and fans across the global football community.
In a quick roster adjustment, Germany called up 22-year-old midfielder Assan Ouédraogo to replace Karl for the tournament. Ouédraogo, who currently plays alongside Raum at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, has earned just one cap for Germany to date – a 6-0 victory over Slovakia in November 2024, where he notched his first senior international goal. Welcoming his club teammate to the national squad, Raum expressed confidence that the new call-up can fill the gap left by Karl’s injury. “Very happy to welcome him here, and he can help us a lot,” Raum added.
Germany is also managing another fitness concern ahead of the tournament: veteran starting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is still recovering from a lingering calf muscle injury. The 40-year-old goalkeeper, who came out of international retirement just last month after stepping away following UEFA Euro 2024, got the nod to be included in the roster despite not having played a competitive match for Germany in almost two years. In Neuer’s absence against the USA, Hoffenheim shot-stopper Oliver Baumann got the starting nod in goal.
Looking ahead, Germany will kick off its World Cup campaign on June 14 with a group stage opener against Curaçao. After that first fixture, the side will face Group E opponents Ivory Coast on June 20 before wrapping up group play against Ecuador on June 25.