Wirtz focused on himself ahead of Nations League clash with France

Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz says he’s tuning out comparisons with Europe’s best as Germany aim to finish their Nations League campaign on a high against France.

Florian Wirtz says he’s concentrating on his own game as Germany prepare for their UEFA Nations League third-place play-off against France on Sunday.

Asked by RTL/ntv to reflect on Spain’s dramatic 5-4 win over France and how he compares himself to the standout players on both sides, the 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen star said:

“It was definitely a match with a lot of very good players on the pitch. I could’ve watched it for another hour. These are players who’ve performed exceptionally well all season, who can play incredible football and make a lot of great decisions.

“I’m happy, of course, to play against players like that and measure myself against them. It sounds simple, but I’m the kind of person who focuses on myself and tries to do my job as well as possible. That’s what I’ll try to do in the next game too, and I hope we can come out of it with a win.”

Despite taking the lead through Wirtz in the semifinal on Wednesday, Germany fell 1-2 to Portugal and missed out on a place in the final on home turf.

“After a game like that, it’s obviously important as a player to hear what didn’t go so well and what needs to improve,” Wirtz said.

“Of course, we had set our sights on reaching the final and winning the title. But the coach is someone who pays attention to a lot of details, and he tried to go over those with us. Overall, it was mainly about the lack of intensity and the willingness to give everything. Unfortunately, that was a bit lacking.”

Despite the disappointment, Wirtz remains optimistic about the team’s development.

“We’re not yet where we want to be, but we’re on the right path. This was the first small setback – just not a good performance, and simply not enough in terms of effort. But these are the kinds of moments where you need to regroup, reflect, and remind yourself where you stand. So yes, we’re not there yet, but we’re heading in the right direction.”

There will be plenty of focus on Wirtz again on Sunday amid growing speculation that he is closing in on a move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen.

The match against France will take place at the MHPArena in Stuttgart on Sunday at 15:00 CET.