World Cup 2026: Nagelsmann furious with FIFA after group stage

Finishing top of Group E, the Germans will only learn their round of 16 opponent 48 hours before kick-off. Nagelsmann steps up and openly criticizes FIFA's new format.

The new format for the 2026 World Cup is ruffling feathers among the elite. Julian Nagelsmann has felt the impact after his Mannschaft side powered through the group stage with two convincing wins over Curaçao (7-1) and Ivory Coast (2-1). The issue: by topping Group E, the Germans won’t know who they’re facing in the round of 16 until Saturday night, with the match set for Monday in Boston. That leaves less than 48 hours to prepare for a crucial knockout tie.

The German manager didn’t hold back.

"To be honest, I’m not a big fan. Being penalized for finishing first in the group is far from ideal. It goes without saying that it’s not perfect. But everything is manageable," he said at a press conference.

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"It’s going to be a sleepless night. We want to prepare most of our game plan in advance so we’re not scrambling on Sunday," he added.

Still, Nagelsmann keeps his cool.

"We’ll manage. Most of our coaching staff are still quite young, so we can work through the night if we have to," he concluded.

Early projections suggest Paraguay or Australia are the most likely opponents for the next round.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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