When Germany exited Euro2024 at the quarter-final stage, suffering a 2-1 extra-time defeat against Spain, it felt like a defeat could spell the end of an era for the National team, as it could be the last international tournament for many of Germany’s squad.
Veteran midfielder Toni Kroos played his last competitive game of football, while the likes of Manuel Neuer, Ilkay Gundogan and Thomas Muller are in the twilight of their careers, and the World Cup 2026 may be a tournament too far for the trio.
While some key German players are approaching the end of their careers, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are two highly-rated youngsters who are already shining on the international stage.
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz Shine
In terms of sheer talent, they are two of the best young players in the world game, and both have already made their mark in the international game.
The pair have definitely made an impact at Euro2024. Musiala scored three goals in the competition, having played all five games. His performance in the competition was just as strong as his excellent form for Bayern last season.
However, after starting the team’s first three games in the competition, Wirtz only made substitute appearances in Germany’s last two games, scoring twice.
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One of the goals the Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder scored was an 89th-minute equaliser in the quarter-final against Spain. However, his side was defeated in extra time courtesy of a Mikel Merino goal in the 119th minute.
Finding a way to accommodate the pair is key to the German team’s return to glory in the future.
It seems that German head coach Julian Nagelsmann felt he couldn’t fit Wirtz and Musiala into the same team for the Spain game. Although Musiala can play out wide, some would say that his best position is in the number ten position.
Wirtz is the definition of a playmaking number ten, and he plays the position perfectly. The youngster is simply outstanding with great technical ability, guile and hard work.
He is so good that Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are reportedly interested in him. A fee of €150m has been mooted, which tells you all you need to know about his ability.
If he was almost any other nationality in the international game, the head coach would be building a team around him. However, it would be difficult for Nagelsmann to drop Musiala, so the former head coach has a nice problem to have when picking his starting 11s.
Not only must Germany accommodate the youngsters, but they have to build the team around the talented young starlets. Some would argue it should be Wirtz, Musiala, and nine other players.
Other German Starlets For The Future
Germany is definitely not short of talent, and other young players need to be integrated into the team soon.
For example, another 21-year-old, Maximilian Beier of Hoffenheim, and Bayern Munich’s 20-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic are two players touted as future stars. Both of them impressed in the Bundesliga last season.
Having scored 16 Bundesliga goals last season, Beier only made a brief 25-minute cameo at Euro2024. Meanwhile, Pavlovic just missed out on the squad. Both look to have bright futures with the national team.
Germany also has a good crop of players in their mid-twenties, such as Kai Havertz, Nico Schlotterbeck, David Raum and Chris Fuhrich, who are all near the prime of their careers.
It seems that Germany are once again set for a transitional stage. Some would argue that they are in a permanent transitional stage. However, it happens to many teams when attempting to rebuild or create a winning team.
While in that transitional stage, it is vital that they have talented youngsters ready to be the team’s fulcrum. In Musiala and Wirtz, Germany, have just that.
In the past, the Germans have dominated world football, being one of the most successful nations in major tournaments. However, they are not currently good enough as a team to truly challenge for the big international trophies.
Over the years the country has been a conveyor belt of talent, as proven by the youngster’s emergence in recent years. So, there shouldn’t be a shortage of players capable of helping Germany to return to glory.
It would be a massive surprise if the national team hadn’t figured out how to combine Musiala and Wirtz into one team by the time the next World Cup comes around. Leaving Wirtz on the substitute bench is quite simply criminal, as he is too talented to play a bit-part role in the team.
The most obvious solution to the problem would be that, like in some of the early games at Euro2024, Musiala plays as a wide player, with Wirtz playing as the number ten, dictating the team’s attacking play as he does for Bayer Leverkusen.
If the team’s coaching staff can harness the pair’s ability, then they could play a crucial role for the next decade or more in the national team and help Germany once again become a force in international football.
Can Germany find a way to accommodate both Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz?