Germany's 2026 World Cup squad built on African roots
Key takeaways
- Germany's 2026 World Cup squad has leaders with African heritage.
- In fact, if you look at the last year of Germany squad selections, there have been a total of 17 players with African roots called up.
- "Today we have great diversity in the team, which symbolizes a new generation of German players," Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, told DW.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Germany's 2026 World Cup squad has leaders with African heritage. The diversity of the team is a strength.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EKph Some of Germany's key players — Jonathan Tah, Leroy Sane and Antonio Rüdiger — have African roots Image: Hirnschal/osnapix/IMAGOAdvertisement Most of the news about Germany's World Cup squad was around the return of Manuel Neuer. But beyond the headlines lies another story.
Eight of the 26 players representing Germany this summer have roots in Africa: Jonathan Tah (Ivorian father), Antonio Rüdiger (Sierra Leonean mother), Leroy Sane (Senegalese father), Felix Nmecha and Jamal Musiala (both Nigerian fathers), Assan Ouedraogo (both parents from Burkina Faso), Malick Thiaw (Senegalese father) and Jamie Leweling (Ghanian father).