Germany's 2026 World Cup Hopes in Jeopardy After Shock Defeat to Slovakia

Germany's hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup have been thrown into disarray after a surprise 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in their opening qualifier on September 4, 2025. The loss marks the first time Germany has lost an away World Cup qualifier since 1954, a historic setback for the football powerhouse.

Slovakia, which last qualified for the World Cup in 2010, took the lead through goals from David Hancko and David Strelec, exploiting defensive mistakes by the German team. Despite fielding a new-look lineup that included Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade and debutant Nnamdi Collins, Germany was unable to find a way through Slovakia's resolute defense to get back into the game.

The defeat was a major blow for coach Julian Nagelsmann, who was scathing in his assessment of his team's performance. Nagelsmann questioned whether he should rely less on quality players and instead select more dedicated individuals, saying "that would have led to better results today than if the best players played."

With the loss, Germany now faces an uphill battle to qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, needing to win all of its remaining five games to avoid the playoffs. The team had already booked a friendly match against Ivory Coast for March 2026, assuming it would win its group, but that date now clashes with the playoffs for second-place teams.