Germany’s promising 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl tore a muscle during training on June 5, 2026, ruling him out of the World Cup [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Karl injured his left thigh muscle at the team’s final training session in Chicago and was immediately taken to hospital for scans and diagnosis [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Coach Julian Nagelsmann said Karl’s injury “does not look good” and expressed regret at the timing, saying, “I feel incredibly sorry for Lenny. With his light‑heartedness, his creativity, his pace, and his personality, he fit into the team perfectly” [1, 2, 7]. The German Football Association added on Instagram that Karl “tore a muscle bundle today in the final training session and is ruled out because of this injury. Have a good recovery, we’re thinking of you” [7].
Karl has had a meteoric rise this season with Bayern Munich, helping the team win the domestic double and reach the Champions League semi-finals [2, 4, 6, 7, 8]. He made his Germany national team debut in March 2026 and started in the 4-0 friendly victory over Finland on May 31, providing an assist [5, 6, 7, 8]. Nagelsmann noted that despite Karl’s young age, “He knows how to handle high-pressure situations” and “He’s on his way to peak fitness” but the injury prevents any risks from being taken [7].
Germany will replace Karl in the squad with 20-year-old midfielder Assan Ouedraogo from RB Leipzig [2, 4, 6, 7]. On June 6, Germany faced the United States in their final warm-up match without Karl and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is also ruled out but expected to return for the World Cup opening game [1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Germany is set to start its 2026 World Cup campaign against Curacao on June 14 in Group E, alongside Ivory Coast and Ecuador [1, 2, 3, 4, 8].
