Jamal Musiala — Germany World Cup 2026 Squad

Career Highlights

Jamal Musiala enters the 2026 World Cup as the player who most clearly represents what Germany have been trying to build since the collapse in 2018. He is 22, he plays for Bayern Munich, and he has 48 caps and 13 goals for a national team that has spent most of the last decade searching for an identity.

Musiala is a dribbler first and everything else second. He receives the ball in tight spaces, carries it past defenders who expect him to pass, and creates chances from positions where most players would play the ball back or sideways. His close control at speed is the defining skill in his game, and it makes him one of the most difficult players to defend one-on-one in the tournament.

Club Career

For Germany, Musiala operates primarily on the left half-space, drifting inside from a starting position on the left wing. Julian Nagelsmann has also used him as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1, where his dribbling can break the first line of pressure and create numerical advantages in the final third. The system is built to get Musiala on the ball in the areas where he is most dangerous.

International Career & World Cup History

The challenge for Germany is that Musiala sometimes holds the ball too long. He is still learning when to dribble and when to release, and in tournament matches against disciplined defensive teams, the wrong decision can kill an attack. His assists numbers are lower than his chance-creation numbers would suggest, which reflects the gap between the chances he creates and the chances his teammates convert.

World Cup 2026 Outlook

At Bayern Munich, Musiala has continued to develop under different managers and in different tactical systems. He has added goals to his game, becoming more willing to shoot from distance and more effective at arriving in the box to finish moves. His goal against Real Madrid in the 2024 Champions League semi-final was a reminder that his talent works at the highest level.

Germany will go as far as Musiala can take them. If he is decisive, they are dangerous in every match. If he struggles or is neutralized by opponents who double-team him, Germany will need other attackers to take responsibility. Florian Wirtz provides a second creative option, but the primary burden is on Musiala.