The 19-year-old shooting star from Cologne said El Mala was a surprise addition to Germany’s final World Cup qualifying squad as head coach Julian Nagelsmann has selected his final squad for 2025 for his team’s final two World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia.
El Mala has only played nine Bundesliga games, remarkably starting in only two of them, but four goals and two assists were enough to convince Nagelsmann that he is worth a closer look. The Krefeld-born winger, who was signed by Cologne in the summer of 2024 but spent last season on loan at third division city rivals Viktoria, has been a big factor in Cologne’s surprisingly good start to the new Bundesliga season as the newly-promoted team find themselves outside the top six. El Mala has also played four times for Germany’s U21s.
“It was said that El Mala should show us his carefree and light-hearted side,” Nagelsmann said of the youngster’s call-up.
Germany has hope from Nagelsmann & Co. To hand over
Leroy Sane is part of the Germany squad for the first time since moving to Galatasaray this summer, and Malik Thiaw returns after a two-year absence. Players like Nathaniel Brown, Jamie Leveling and Ridal Baku are also pushing to be in the conversation for Germany’s World Cup squad next year. Robert Andrich, Robin Koch and Maximilian Bayer were not called up, as was the case with in-form Bayern Munich youngsters Tom Bischoff and Lennart Karl.
After a big win against Luxembourg and a hard-fought victory in Belfast, Germany top Group A, but only on goal difference against Slovakia. With hopes of a win against Luxembourg, (a game in which Germany will wear their new World Cup jerseys) the final game of the group stage in Leipzig against Slovakia provides a real showdown for top spot – the only automatic qualifying spot for the 2026 World Cup. That being said, regardless of the results in November, Germany have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup playoffs as they qualified for the Nations League Final Four.
Germany face Wolfsburg on Monday before the start of their final World Cup qualifying round.