Nagelsmann All But Rules Out Ter Stegen for the 2026 World Cup
Ter Stegen's comeback lasted two games — and now his World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread.
He came back to prove himself. Now another injury has almost certainly ended his World Cup dream.
Marc-André ter Stegen's return from injury was supposed to be his World Cup lifeline. The goalkeeper joined Girona on loan from Barcelona in January with a clear goal: get fit, get minutes, force his way back into Nagelsmann's plans. Instead, a serious hamstring injury in just his second appearance has derailed everything.
"It's obviously an extremely tragic situation," Nagelsmann told Kicker. "It would have been his turn now."
The Germany coach stopped short of officially closing the door, but his words left little room for optimism. "The book isn't completely closed, but there's no doubt it's going to be very tight. He's barely played for a year — that's extremely little."
For ter Stegen, it's a devastating blow at the worst possible time.
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