Schlotterbeck faces World Cup exit: DFB fears for its center-back after 2:1 against Ivory Coast

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed after the match that the injury to the ankle is presumably serious. "Unfortunately it is most likely a medial ligament injury in the ankle, but we don't yet know to what extent," said Nagelsmann at the press conference in the stadium in Toronto. The 38-year-old also explained: "He has something in the medial ligament, I don't know yet what." An examination on Sunday is to provide more precise information on the severity of the injury – so far (as of 0:15 CEST, 18:15 local time) there is no diagnosis, as Sportschau reporter Alexander Schlüter reports from Winston-Salem. Nagelsmann added: "With 'Schlotti' we have to wait until tomorrow to see what the imaging in the MRI reveals."

Serious injury dampens the euphoria

An absence would come at the worst possible time for Schlotterbeck. As recently as April 2025, the Dortmund player had suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and subsequently missed five months. Nagelsmann was already able to point out the importance of the only left-footer in central defense during the training camp before the tournament: "In central defense there is one issue with Nico Schlotterbeck, who is currently our only left-footer, and we already had huge problems in build-up play when he didn't play," he said in an interview with Kicker in March. Expert Thomas Müller also emphasized the importance of the BVB professional on MagentaTV: "He has the quality with the left foot in build-up play, this switching quality we cannot replace one-to-one." Müller added: "He also has that strength in attack on set pieces."

A late nomination for an injured player is, according to FIFA regulations, only possible up to 24 hours before a team's first match. Thereafter, the team has to make do with the squad that traveled. This means that in the event of Schlotterbeck's absence, Nagelsmann must find a solution from the available personnel. As the first option, the head coach brought on Antonio Rüdiger of Real Madrid, who replaced the injured Schlotterbeck almost flawlessly. Nagelsmann was confident after the match: "But Toni can do it too, it just needs to click again." However, the head coach had already warned beforehand: "Nevertheless, we have to prepare ourselves for what happens if he can't play at some point."

Rüdiger as replacement and the search for solutions

Despite the worries about Schlotterbeck, the sporting success takes precedence for the German team. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf was euphoric after the early group victory: "The fact that our team has achieved the group victory early fills me with pride and happiness," Neuendorf told SID. He also emphasized that the point earned by Curaçao against Ecuador (0-0) shows that the 7-1 opening win against the World Cup newcomer "was no foregone conclusion." Manuel Neuer, who became the World Cup record goalkeeper with his appearance against Ivory Coast, remained deliberately unfazed: "You just have to stay cool, stay in your routine," said the 40-year-old. The captain also warned: "Due to the speed of the opponent, a little more will be expected of us" – Ivory Coast was a bigger challenge than Curaçao in the first match.

The match against Ivory Coast, a former French colony that has been independent since 1960, began in the worst possible way for the German team. The first half was evenly contested, but the side coached by Emerse Faé surprisingly took the lead. After just under a quarter of an hour, Schlotterbeck had already suffered the injury and played on in pain. After the break, Nagelsmann responded with a triple substitution in the 60th minute to inject new momentum into the match. Nadiem Amiri, who was brought on for his World Cup debut and shone eight minutes after his substitution as the assist provider, crossed into the penalty area – and joker Deniz Undav struck to make it 1-1. "To give my World Cup debut here with the assist for 1-1 and turn the game like that is really perfect," said the Mainz man.

Undav, who had already contributed three scorer points against Curaçao and now has the most in the tournament, ultimately became the match-winner in stoppage time. The VfB Stuttgart attacker, who on 21 June 2020 scored a memorable goal for Meppen with a spectacular strike from 50 meters against SpVgg Unterhaching that was nominated for Goal of the Month for June 2020, fired the German team to the relieving 2-1 victory with his second goal. "Deniz is an absolute killer in front of goal, he doesn't need many chances," Nagelsmann praised the match-winner. Undav himself was modest: "There is no nervousness, it's just a football match," said the striker, who now has five scorer points in 56 minutes. Nagelsmann announced that a starting line-up appearance for Undav against Ecuador was "absolutely within the realm of possibility." "We have a common goal and if that's currently working so well, as I said, it's down to the head coach," said the Stuttgart man.

Ecuador as the next opponent

The mood in Toronto is exuberant. Around 3,000 German fans made their way to the stadium on Saturday, including many with Canadian or American roots. Around 200,000 people with German roots live in and around Toronto. A DFB fan reported in conversation with Sportschau reporter Michael Bollenbacher about the organizational challenges: "I had to organize 25 tickets, which is very, very much." Another added: "In recent weeks and months I've gone quite grey at the hair given the price dynamics." Undav also has a special connection to the city: "My mother's side lives in Toronto," revealed the Stuttgart man. The stadium holds 45,000 spectators and was opened in 2007; it is the home of Toronto FC.

The German team travels back towards home on Saturday evening, where the MRI examination of Schlotterbeck is scheduled for Sunday. The further schedule is as follows: 9:30 breakfast, then discussion of set pieces and activation in the hotel; 12:30 to 13:30 lunch; 14:00 short meeting and then departure to the stadium in Toronto; 16:00 kick-off of the match against Ivory Coast; 21:00 return flight. However, at the press conference at 0:45 German time (18:45 in Toronto), Nagelsmann together with Jonathan Tah will not yet be able to announce a final diagnosis.

The fair play debate also sparked discussion. Emerse Faé, coach of Ivory Coast, sharply criticized the German team after the match: "From a great nation like Germany one could have expected a bit more fair play when Singo played the ball out due to an injury," said Faé. He added: "We would have wished that they had played the ball back to us." He also stated: "We take such nations as an example to further develop ourselves, and I was a little disappointed about the lack of fair play from this German team." Nagelsmann rejected the criticism: "Both wanted to win, perhaps a touch more than the opponent." He emphasized: "This team shows us all that sticking together and standing up for each other on and off the pitch can do a lot of good."

Fair play debate after the final whistle

With a view to the upcoming tasks, it remains to be seen how long Schlotterbeck will be out. In the contract of the BVB professional, which runs until 2031, a release clause is anchored that allows certain clubs to sign him until the week after the World Cup final on Sunday, 19 July, for a sum between 50 and 60 million euros. A long-term absence would hit the national player hard once again, after he had already had to sit out for months last season due to a torn meniscus. The German team flies from Smith Reynolds Airport some 1,200 kilometers north on Sunday evening and will be accommodated at the Delta Hotel in Toronto, before