Germany loses teenage star Karl before World Cup, Ouédraogo called up

Germany has suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after midfielder Lennart Karl was ruled out of the tournament with a muscle injury sustained during training in Chicago on Friday.

The German Football Association (DFB) confirmed that the 18-year-old Bayern Munich player suffered a torn muscle and will be replaced in the squad by RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouédraogo. World Cup regulations allow teams to replace players in cases of serious injury up to 24 hours before their opening match.

Karl was injured during Germany's final training session before Saturday's friendly against the United States, the team's last warm-up fixture before the World Cup. Coach Julian Nagelsmann virtually confirmed the worst immediately after the incident, saying the injury "didn't look so good."

The teenager had emerged as one of Germany's brightest young talents following a breakthrough season with Bayern Munich. Karl became the club's youngest-ever scorer in the UEFA Champions League and quickly established himself as part of the national-team setup after making his senior debut in March.

His absence is a significant blow for Germany ahead of their Group E opener against Curacao on June 14. Germany will also face Cote d'Ivoire and Ecuador in the group stage as they seek a return to World Cup glory after disappointing group stage exits in 2018 and 2022.

Ouédraogo, 20, now receives an unexpected opportunity on football's biggest stage. The RB Leipzig midfielder narrowly missed out on Germany's original squad and will travel from Spain to join the team in the United States. He made an immediate impact on his senior international debut in November 2025, scoring against Slovakia.

Four-time World Champions Germany are also continuing to monitor the fitness of veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is expected to miss Saturday's friendly against the United States because of a lingering calf issue. Neuer (40), initially retired from international football after the 2024 European Championship but made a comeback prior to the World Cup with coach Nagelsmann confirming that the 2014 tournament winner will serve as his team's first-choice keeper in North America.