Confirmed Lineups: Slovakia vs. Germany

Here are the two teams for Germany’s first game of the World Cup qualifiers.

Germany will kickstart their 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Bratislava tonight. Julian Nagelsmann and Slovakia’s Francesco Calzona confirmed their lineups for the game at the Tehelné Pole.

It’s not quite clear where Joshua Kimmich will feature in the game. If Maximilian Mittelstadt plays in his natural position, Germany’s captain could play alongside Leon Goretzka and Angelo Stiller in midfield with Florian Wirtz pushed to the wing. Mittelstadt could be one of the wingers, though, which would leave the number 10 position to Wirtz. 

Nnmadi Collins makes his international debut on the other flank. Meanwhile, Wirtz and Nick Woltemade are playing for the national team for the first time since completing their big-money transfers to Premier League clubs. Oliver Baumann replaces the injured Marc André ter Stegen in goal.

Slovakia have some familiar names for Bundesliga fans. Bochum’s Matus Bero starts alongside Ondrej Duda, who was a former Hertha Berlin and Köln attacking midfielder. Peter Pekarík, who returned to Hertha this summer to play for the second team, is still part of the squad as the 38-year-old right-back sits on Slovakia’s bench alongside László Bénes.

Confirmed Slovakia vs. Germany lineups:

Slovakia: Dúbravka; Satka, Gyömbér, Škriniar ©, Hancko; Bero, Lobotka, Duda; Strelec, Sauer, Duris

Germany: Baumann; Kimmich ©, Rüdiger, Tah, Collins; Stiller, Goretzka; Mittelstadt, Wirtz, Gnabry; Woltemade