MUNICH — One of German men’s football’s most impactful attacking talents will not take the global stage this summer, as Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry has officially ruled himself out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States following a serious thigh injury sustained in club training.
The injury was first announced by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich this past Saturday, when the club confirmed that Gnabry had suffered a tear to the adductor muscle in his right thigh. The statement only noted that the winger would be sidelined “for a longer period” and offered no additional specifics about the timeline of his recovery, prompting widespread speculation about his World Cup eligibility over the following days.
On Wednesday, the 29-year-old ended all uncertainty with a personal announcement posted to his official Instagram account, confirming that the injury would force him to miss the June tournament. “The last few days have been tough to process. A Bayern season which still holds much to play for after securing another Bundesliga title on the weekend,” Gnabry shared in his post. “As for the World Cup dream with Germany. That’s sadly over for me.”
The forward added that he plans to cheer on his national teammates from his home base in Germany while he focuses on rehabilitating the injury, with the goal of returning to full fitness in time for pre-season preparations ahead of the next club campaign. “Like the rest of the country, I’ll be supporting the boys from home. Now it’s time to focus on recovery and getting back for pre-season. Thank you for all the messages,” he wrote.
Gnabry’s absence leaves a major gap in Germany’s attacking depth ahead of the tournament, after he turned in a standout campaign for Bayern Munich en route to the club’s latest Bundesliga title last weekend. He contributed eight goals and seven assists for the Bavarian side this season, as Bayern broke the league’s all-time record for total goals scored in a single campaign on their way to claiming the crown.
At the international level, Gnabry was a core contributor to Germany’s qualifying campaign, starting every single World Cup qualifier for the national side. He also featured in two friendly matches for Die Mannschaft back in March, and was widely expected to be a key member of manager Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man tournament squad. Germany is set to kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign in Group E, where they will face off against Curacao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador.
The 2026 World Cup, the first 48-team edition in tournament history, is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 across 16 host cities spread across the three North American co-hosts.