Leroy Sané — Germany World Cup 2026 Squad

Career Highlights

Leroy Sané won the Premier League with Manchester City in 2018 and 2019, finishing as the league's Young Player of the Year in 2018 after a season of devastating wing play. He scored the goal that secured City's century of points in 2017-18 and was among the league's leaders in assists across both title-winning campaigns. At Bayern Munich, he won four Bundesliga titles and reached a Champions League semi-final. Sané has 20 goals in 60 caps for Germany and was part of the squad that won the 2017 Confederations Cup. His 2025 move to Galatasaray marked a new direction after five seasons in Munich.

Club Career

Sané came through Schalke 04's academy and impressed in his breakthrough Bundesliga season before Manchester City signed him in 2016 for a reported £37 million. Under Pep Guardiola, he became one of the most dangerous wingers in Europe, combining searing pace with an improved final ball. A cruciate ligament injury in August 2019 sidelined him for nearly the entire 2019-20 season, and he moved to Bayern Munich in 2020. In Munich, Sané was productive if sometimes inconsistent, contributing double-figure goal involvements in every Bundesliga season. His relationship with the Bayern fans was occasionally fraught, but his talent was never in doubt. A transfer to Galatasaray in 2025 reunited him with a club where his dribbling and direct running are prized.

International Career & World Cup History

Sané made his Germany debut in 2015 and was surprisingly omitted from Joachim Löw's 2018 World Cup squad, a decision that generated enormous controversy given his club form. He was part of the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar but started only one match as Germany exited in the group stage. At Euro 2024 on home soil, he made substitute appearances as Germany reached the quarter-finals. His 60 caps and 20 goals reflect a stop-start international career hampered by injury and selection decisions, though his talent has always warranted inclusion. He scored in the 2017 Confederations Cup final against Chile.

World Cup 2026 Outlook

Sané will be 30 during the 2026 World Cup, with the chance to finally deliver on the biggest international stage after the disappointments of 2018 and 2022. His pace remains his defining weapon, and playing in Turkey's more physical league may sharpen his competitiveness ahead of the tournament. If Julian Nagelsmann values his directness and ability to stretch defences, Sané could start on either flank. His challenge is consistency: he remains capable of moments of genius and stretches of anonymity in equal measure. In a tournament setting, his explosiveness off the bench could be as valuable as his role from the start.