Kante is back for France, El Mala gets his debut for Germany

The German Football Association has announced the squad for the upcoming decisive 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Luxembourg (November 14) and Slovakia (November 17). Head coach Julian Nagelsmann surprised the public by calling up young Cologne attacking midfielder Said El Mala (19), who will have the chance to make his debut for the senior national team. The talented Cologne dribbler convinced the coach that it was time for a call-up after just nine Bundesliga appearances, only two of which he started. With four goals and two assists, El Mala is currently the top scorer for the team sitting seventh in the table, earning him this unexpected invitation.

In addition to the debutant, Leroy Sane has returned to the squad for the first time since the Nations League finals and his departure from Bayern. Malick Thiaw has also been recalled, having moved from Milan to Newcastle this summer and become a regular starter. Thiaw last played for Germany in 2023. On the other hand, Nagelsmann has left out Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), and Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund) this time. While victory against Luxembourg is not in doubt, three days later in Leipzig the Mannschaft will face Slovakia — a match likely to serve as a “final” for a direct World Cup spot, as the two teams are currently level on points, and Slovakia previously defeated Nagelsmann’s side 2–0 at the start of the qualifiers.

Imagine playing football in your village with WC winner on your team

As far as France is concerned, it’s hard to get into Didier Deschamps’ national team — but it’s even harder to get out of it. This time, however, he made more changes than the public is used to — partly due to injuries, and partly by choice. For the final World Cup qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Ukraine, Deschamps couldn’t count on injured players such as Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doue. Meanwhile, several players previously called up were left out due to form or competition: brothers Marcus (Inter) and Khephren Thuram (Juventus), Youssouf Fofana (Milan), Kingsley Coman (Al Nassr), Benjamin Pavard (Marseille), Florian Thauvin (Lens), Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa), and Corentin Tolisso (Lyon).

The biggest talking point of the new squad is the return of the experienced N’Golo Kante, who has been playing for Saudi club Al-Ittihad for three seasons now, yet still enjoys Deschamps’ full trust. Alongside him, younger midfielders Eduardo Camavinga, Manu Kone, and Warren Zaïre-Emery will compete for places. The attack underwent the most changes. Kylian Mbappe returns after recovering from injury, while Randal Kolo Muani’s good form with Tottenham earned him a recall. A new face on the list is Rayan Cherki, who has been playing increasingly well for Manchester City. Young talents Barcola, Akliouche, and Olise have kept their places, joined once again by Christopher Nkunku, who revived his career in Milan, and veteran Jean-Philippe Mateta, who recently made his debut for the national team.