At just 21 years old, Florian Wirtz has emerged as one of the most seasoned players in Germany's revamped squad.
As the team shifts its sights towards the 2026 World Cup, it faces a unique challenge: injuries, retirements, and a short-term focus on Euro 2024 have left the Nations League roster lacking in both experience and youth.
The Bayer Leverkusen star stands out as the second youngest player in the squad while also boasting 25 caps, making him the fifth most experienced player as Germany gears up for matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday and the Netherlands on Monday.
Compounding the challenges, none of the three goalkeepers selected – Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nubel, and Oliver Blaswich – have ever donated the national jersey. With Barcelona's Marc-André ter Stegen sidelined for several months, one of them will need to rise to the occasion.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann faces a difficult situation, with six key players unavailable due to injury as of Tuesday, including Leipzig left-back David Raum, the latest casualty. While new faces like Jamie Leweling, Jonny Burkardt, and Tim Kleindienst are Bundesliga mainstays, they remain untested on the international stage.
"Though it's a shame that this time we have to do without some injured regulars who contributed during the home Euros in the summer, we're very much looking forward to seeing our new players in the team environment and in training," Nagelsmann said on Monday in remarks reported by dpa.
Even before Bayern's Jamal Musiala, Arsenal's Kai Havertz, and West Ham's Niclas Fullkrug all dropped out due to injury, Germany's squad was looking threadbare after a spate of high-profile retirements following the run to the final quarters at Euro 2024.
Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Ilkay Gundogan, and Thomas Muller called time on their international careers after Euro 2024, taking a combined 451 caps' worth of experience with them.
There's a wider effect, too, from the pressure Germany felt to succeed when it hosted Euro 2024.
Short-term thinking was Germany's official policy when Nagelsmann was appointed last year on a contract that ran only through Euro 2024, and he focused on getting a misfiring group of experienced players to come again. Nagelsmann later extended his stay through the 2026 World Cup.
Germany can usually count on Musiala and Wirtz, two of the brightest young talents in world football, but other young players once hyped as Germany's future have yet to break through.
Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi has lacked consistency and faced injury problems. Striker Youssoufa Moukoko and defender Armel Bella-Kotchap were Adeyemi's teammates at the 2022 World Cup but haven't been selected since. Progress seems to have stalled for 21-year-old forward Maximilian Beier since he joined Dortmund this season.
One player who will be expected to perform against Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Netherlands is Bayern forward Serge Gnabry, back in the team after 11 months away.
In a sign of how much things have changed, Gnabry's 22 international goals meant he has scored more for Germany than everyone else in the squad combined.