Late call-up for Ouédraogo: DFB team sets up base in Winston-Salem

"Als Julian Nagelsmann mir gesagt hat, dass ich nun dabei bin, musste ich den Moment erst einmal kurz verarbeiten und realisieren, bevor ich direkt meine Sachen gepackt habe", sagte Ouédraogo. The 1.92-meter-tall midfielder, who was developed at FC Schalke 04 until 2024 and made his senior national team debut a few months ago, described the call-up as a great honor: "Es ist eine Riesenehre und macht mich sehr stolz, Deutschland bei der WM mitzuvertreten."

Nagelsmann praises fitness and talent

Nagelsmann justified the choice with the strong impressions Ouédraogo had recently left. "Wir wollten unbedingt einen jungen Spieler mitnehmen und haben uns für den entschieden, der bei uns mit Lenny zusammen den besten Eindruck hinterlassen hat", sagte der Bundestrainer. Germany's record cap-holder Lothar Matthäus was also surprised by the decision but emphasized: "Ja, es war auch für mich überraschend. Aber Julian Nagelsmann hat sich ganz sicher etwas dabei gedacht."

Nagelsmann also highlighted Ouédraogo's fitness. "Er ist total im Saft und im Rhythmus", erklärte der Coach mit Blick auf die Post-Season-Tour, die der Leipziger unlängst mit seinem Verein in Südafrika absolviert hatte. Ouédraogo had, however, also had to deal with a knee injury during the World Cup year, which kept him out of action for a time. All the more reason for Nagelsmann to be pleased about the youngster's return: "Er ist ebenfalls hochtalentiert und soll hier mutig und unbeschwert aufspielen."

Debut against Slovakia

There is sympathy within the squad for the injured Karl, Ouédraogo emphasized: "Es tut mir sehr leid für ihn." Nagelsmann underscored the parallel between the two young players: "Mit Assan bekommen wir einen Spieler dazu, der ähnlich wie Lenny einen klasse Einstand bei uns hatte." Ouédraogo was brought on for 14 minutes in the 6-0 win against Slovakia in Leipzig in November 2025 and scored the final goal in that match.

Other candidates were left out. The 19-year-old Cologne player Said El Mala as well as the more experienced Chris Führich of VfB Stuttgart had been considered as possible Karl replacements but were ultimately not called up. Ouédraogo will wear shirt number 25 at the tournament, which had previously belonged to Karl.

First session in front of 3,000 fans

While Ouédraogo already arrived at the team hotel on Sunday, the rest of the delegation used a final free day in Chicago before moving to the accommodation in Winston-Salem on Monday. The first open training session takes place on Monday at 6:00 p.m. local time at Spry Stadium, where around 3,000 fans are expected. An open training session is mandatory under FIFA rules for each of the 48 World Cup participants in the host countries of the USA, Mexico, or Canada.

After a final session next Saturday in Winston-Salem, the DFB squad will travel on to Houston, where the World Cup opener against World Cup newcomers Curaçao is scheduled for Sunday (7:00 p.m. / ARD).