‘An extremely tragic situation’ – Julian Nagelsmann fears for Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s World Cup hopes

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has labelled Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s ongoing hamstring injury “an extremely tragic situation” and conceded the goalkeeper’s hopes of starting at the 2026 World Cup are hanging by a thread.

Ter Stegen, 32, underwent surgery in February after tearing his hamstring and remains without a clear return date. The setback has derailed a career-long push to assume the No. 1 shirt for Die Nationalmannschaft, with Nagelsmann admitting the clock is now against the Barcelona stopper.

“It’s obviously an extremely tragic situation for Marc; it would have been his turn now,” Nagelsmann told Kicker. “That something so dramatic would come from such a simple action as a normal pass. Looking at his history with the national team, it would have been his turn now.

“The book isn’t completely closed, but there’s no doubt it’s going to be very tight, because we have to take into account not only the recent downtime, but also the previous period. He’s barely played for a year; that’s extremely little.”

In a bid to secure regular minutes ahead of the 2026 tournament, Ter Stegen accepted a loan move to Girona this season, yet the injury struck at the worst possible moment. He has since returned to Barcelona’s Ciutat Esportiva to continue rehabilitation work in the gym, but club medics are not forecasting a quick comeback.

With Germany set to host the expanded World Cup in two years, Ter Stegen faces a race against time to prove both fitness and form. For now, Nagelsmann must contemplate a future without the veteran keeper, leaving the battle for the starting gloves wide open.