A sunny break from work in the middle of your first World Cup isn’t a bad way to celebrate turning 23. For Nathaniel Brown, having a birthday on Tuesday fits in perfectly with the good vibes train he’s been on for a long time.
“You see how hard the kid works every day. To play like this in his first World Cup game and score a goal right away is outstanding for someone his age,” said forward Kai Havertz. “We need players like that in the Germany team.”
Just four years after signing his first professional contract, Brown, nicknamed “Nene”, is at the World Cup. The move from Nürnberg to Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt came in 2024 and after a slow start, he emerged as a regular player. Even though the club struggled in the recently concluded campaign, Brown was named the club’s Player of the Season.
His first Germany cap came in October 2025. But before the game against Ghana in March this year, he had played only 26 minutes for Germany. He was seen as one to watch. But by the time Germany left for the United States in early June, he had overtaken David Raum. Now, after a goal and an assist in a 7-1 win over Curaçao, his absence from the starting eleven is unthinkable.
Brown: The answer Germany has been waiting for
Germany have been looking for a reliable replacement since Jonah Hector retired from international duty in 2020. It hasn’t been easy. Marcel Halstenberg, Robin Goossens, Christian Günter, Thilo Kehrer, Maximilian Mittelstaedt and David Raum have all tried to make this position their own.
Of all those players, Raum seemed the closest to taking the spot, but his inconsistent form left the spot open to a challenger. Enter Brown – a quiet, young man who is strong in the tackle and has made all areas of the left wing his own. Perhaps most importantly, his humility means he has allowed his work on the field to be in the spotlight.
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann said that Brown’s biggest problem was that he did not know how good he was. Evidence of this was perhaps best seen with the set pieces. Brown wasn’t sure he was good enough to take them, but “the set-piece coach told me, ‘You can do it,'” Brown said.
Good thing, too, because his corner set up Nico Schlotterbach in Houston. Half an hour later, Brown sent a lovely volley into the far corner for a goal on his World Cup debut.
Brown later said, “I can’t even describe it.” “I’ll never forget it. It was one of the best moments of my career.”
Nagelsmann said, “He’s a lovely guy who is humble and really eager to learn. He also has a cheeky side to him, which I really like.”
Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said that Brown was calm and collected off the field, but brave and full of quality on the field. Antonio Rudiger said he becomes a “monster” on the pitch.
When Brown attended the World Cup training camp in Germany, he was not sure how to address legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, colloquially (you) or formally (si). This issue has likely been resolved long ago, but Brown’s quiet quality is an encouraging sign for the future of this team. Possibly also to Bayern Munich, who are reportedly on the verge of signing the left back.
Germany or America?
Brown, whose mother is German and father is American, told the German tabloid Picture Playing for Germany was never in doubt at the beginning of the year.
“About a year ago, I got a call from the US federation. But I immediately said I only wanted to play for Germany. My roots are here, I grew up here,” Brown said. “Since I have no contact with my biological father in the United States, the decision was obvious to me. I grew up German, so playing for the DFB was always my goal.”
It’s fitting that his rise as a rising star for Germany would take place on American soil. While the final test will be when he has less time and space to step up, there is real excitement about how Brown will perform during the rest of this tournament, especially if this was his first assignment. After all, it’s been a long time since Germany has been this excited by a defender, let alone a left back.
Edited by: Matt Pearson