Julian Nagelsmann is set to perform an about-face regarding his World Cup squad. Said El Mala will now travel with the Germany squad to the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Lennart Karl has also secured his place in the squad.
Nagelsmann’s Change of Heart
Reports in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and Bild claim that Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has told the 19-year-old 1. FC Köln forward El Mala that he will be included in the World Cup squad despite lacking any senior international caps.
The friendly matches in March sparked heated debate over El Mala’s omission, even before Thursday’s squad announcement. Despite being one of the Bundesliga’s breakout stars, El Mala’s impressive goalscoring form for Cologne was not enough to convince Nagelsmann to pick him for the internationals against Ghana and Switzerland.
Reasons for Initial Omission
Nagelsmann justified omitting El Mala—while drafting Bayern prospect Lennart Karl—by arguing that the winger had not received enough game time at Cologne under then-coach Lukas Kwasniok, who has since departed. The national coach also questioned the player’s defensive contributions.
“There’s a difference between being at Bayern and being at Cologne. He simply needs more playing time at Cologne,” Nagelsmann emphasised in his widely discussed kicker interview in early March. “This message isn’t aimed at Lukas Kwasniok, whom I know as a coach who carefully assesses his tactical requirements, including defensively. He needs to be a regular starter for Cologne and play in every match, yet he’s only featuring in about 50 per cent of their football, which is insufficient. That shortfall is not the manager’s fault, as many assume; it lies with the player and the consistency of his defensive work.”
Impact at Cologne and With German U21s
Early in the campaign, Kwasniok often introduced El Mala as a substitute, despite the youngster’s goals and assists already proving crucial to the team’s relegation fight. Since Kwasniok’s resignation at the end of March, El Mala has started every Bundesliga match under successor Rene Wagner, finishing his debut top-flight campaign with 13 goals and five assists.
El Mala then showed he could also make an impact at international level with the German U21s. Coach Antonio Di Salvo welcomed Nagelsmann’s omission with open arms, and El Mala fired the German youth side to victory in a vital European Championship qualifier against Greece. Having recently lost his grandmother, he broke down in tears during the celebrations.
“When I scored, everything came pouring out. It was the most emotional moment of my life – I couldn’t hold back any longer,” he explained afterwards.
Looking Ahead
Back in November, Nagelsmann had already called up El Mala for the World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia, but sent him straight back to the U21s after the Luxembourg match without playing a single minute, as that age-group side was up against the wall in its European Championship qualifier against Georgia. Now, with Nagelsmann’s call-up for the senior squad, El Mala may shed a tear of joy when the World Cup preparations begin.
Karl now has significantly more senior international