Germany manager laments Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s situation ahead of World Cup – ‘It’s tragic’

Berlin – Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has described Marc-André ter Stegen’s latest setback as “extremely tragic,” conceding that the veteran goalkeeper’s hopes of starting at the 2026 World Cup are now hanging by a thread.

The 33-year-old Barcelona captain, currently on loan at Girona, was widely expected to inherit the No. 1 shirt after Manuel Neuer’s 15-year international reign ended following Euro 2024. Instead, a fresh injury—suffered in only his second appearance for Girona—has left ter Stegen sidelined once more and Nagelsmann openly questioning whether time has finally run out.

“It is obviously an extremely tragic situation for Marc; now it would have been his turn,” Nagelsmann told Kicker, via Mundo Deportivo. “That something so dramatic arises from such a simple action as a normal pass.”

The Germany boss stopped short of closing the door completely, but admitted the numbers are working against the shot-stopper. “The book is not completely closed, but there is no doubt that it will be very tight, because one must take into account not only the recent downtime, but also the previous period. He has hardly played for a year—this is extremely little.”

Ter Stegen, who will turn 34 in April, has accumulated 44 caps for Germany yet has never started at a major tournament. Neuer’s voluntary retirement from Die Mannschaft appeared to clear the path to the 2026 World Cup, only for injuries to intervene again.

With ter Stegen’s game time dwindling, Hoffenheim’s 35-year-old Oliver Baumann has emerged as the front-runner to guard Germany’s goal in North America, leaving ter Stegen to confront the possibility that his long-held ambition may remain unfulfilled.