Lennart Karl ruled out of 2026 World Cup due to training injury

Germany’s World Cup plans have taken an early hit. According to German newspaper Bild, Bayern Munich midfielder Lennart Karl will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering an injury in training on Friday, a blow that forces Julian Nagelsmann into an unwelcome late reshuffle.

The incident came not in a high-stakes match, but on the training pitch, where tournaments are so often quietly reshaped. Karl went down in Friday’s session, and the concern was immediate. Nagelsmann admitted as much before the final decision was made.

“Lennart suffered an injury in training and, honestly, it doesn't look good. We have to wait for the diagnosis and then decide whether he can realistically make the World Cup or if we need to call up a replacement,” the Germany coach said, laying out the stark choice that has now been made for him.

For Karl, it is a brutal twist. He was not a guaranteed starter at Bayern Munich, yet his rise over the season turned him into one of the Bundesliga champions’ most trusted attacking options. From the bench or from the start, he changed games.

Seventeen direct goal contributions – a mix of goals and assists – underline that impact. Those numbers are not padding on a stat sheet; they are the profile of a player who offered energy, imagination, and end-product in the tightest moments. Bayern used him as a weapon in the final third, and Nagelsmann clearly saw the same potential value for Germany.

Now that plan has gone. Germany will have to name a replacement, and the coaching staff lose a versatile midfielder capable of operating between the lines, linking play, and unsettling tired defences late on. In tournament football, that kind of option often decides knockout ties.

For a national team trying to claw its way back among the world’s elite after a string of disappointing major tournaments, this is more than just a change on the squad list. It is a reminder of how fragile a campaign can be before a ball is even kicked.

Nagelsmann must now find another spark.