2026 World Cup reportedly prompts unusual request from Germany coach Nagelsmann to Barcelona’s Flick

The approaching 2026 FIFA World Cup is impossible to ignore in the soccer world. The tournament’s top stars will be present, and this naturally affects preparations in the months leading up to it. Reports indicate that Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann reached out to his Barcelona counterpart Hansi Flick with an unusual request.

Last Tuesday, Barcelona defeated Guadalajara 2-0 in the third round of the Copa del Rey. The standout moment was the presence of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in goal for Barcelona, taking the position many had assumed would go to Wojciech Szczesny, and returning to official action after a long spell on the sidelines.

“The German Football Association, led by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, called Hansi Flick to ask him to play Ter Stegen so they could assess his condition after the injury,” reported Sport, citing Catalunya Radio and German media sources.

This relates to the long time the goalkeeper had been out of action following a back injury that required surgery. This season, he had only been on the bench in two Barcelona matches: against Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League and against Osasuna in La Liga, both in the last week.

Germany need Ter Stegen

It is unusual for a national team coach to directly request a club manager to give minutes to a player for evaluation purposes. If the reports about Nagelsmann and Flick are accurate, it highlights how important Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is for Germany at this moment.

“With Manuel Neuer retiring from the national team, the Barcelona goalkeeper is the favorite to defend the German goal at the next World Cup,” Sport noted. Indeed, the absence of the Bayern Munich superstar has left a gap that is hard to fill with the same reliability as Ter Stegen can provide.

Neuer ended his international career after Euro 2024. Since then, the Barcelona player has appeared as the natural successor, but his physical issues have forced Nagelsmann to rely on Oliver Baumann, who played much of the World Cup qualifiers, with Alexander Nubel and Finn Dahmen as alternatives.

It is clear that Ter Stegen remains Germany’s most prestigious goalkeeper. His return to full fitness and form in the coming months will be crucial ahead of the World Cup. Additionally, it is likely a personal priority for him, considering he has never played a minute in the FIFA tournament despite being part of the squad in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.