Germany Smash Slovakia 6-0 To Book 2026 World Cup Ticket

Was it ever really in doubt? On Monday, Germany booked its World Cup ticket after smashing Slovakia 6-0 in Leipzig. Nick Woltemade (18’), Serge Gnabry (29’), Leroy Sané (36’ & 41’), Ridle Baku (67’), and Assan Ouédraogo (79’) scored for Germany.

Ahead of the match, Germany had struggled through World Cup qualifying. In fact, the match against Luxembourg (2-0) on Friday was a difficult watch. The same can be said about the previous games against Northern Ireland and the return fixture against Luxembourg as well.

On top of that, Germany also suffered a historic defeat to Slovakia (2-0). Indeed, throughout the entire qualification stage, Julian Nagelsmann’s team looked dull and sluggish. But perhaps the horse only jumped as high as it had to?

The game on Monday certainly suggested as much. Needing a draw or win to sneak past Slovakia to win Group A and qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Germany came out guns blazing.

In fact, it was the most dominant performance since the first half against Italy in March. Since those 45 minutes, Germany has struggled to establish the sort of rhythm and style of football that made them fun to watch during the Euros and the early stages of the UEFA Nations League.

“Every player showed a very good performance today,” Nagelsmann said to German television station ZDF after the game. “We found our game and played convincing football. Everyone did very well. I can’t complain. I’m proud of the team – they had to fight after the bad start with the defeat in Slovakia, they pushed themselves and showed a good team spirit.”

Ahead of Germany’s crucial World Cup qualifier, Nagelsmann and the team reportedly came together to discuss the break in the game since the Italy performance. And whatever was said, worked. From the first minute, Germany was dominant against Slovakia, and the 6-0 win, which also included a historic goal by debutant Ouédraogo, was never in doubt.

The young Leipzig midfielder came on and moments later scored to become the second youngest goalscorer in Germany’s World Cup qualifying history. It was a great goal to cap off a brilliant Germany performance. According to Opta, at 19 years and 192 days, Ouédraogo is the youngest player to score on his debut for Germany since Klaus Stürmer, who did so in October 1954 at 19 years and 68 days.

It was, however, thanks to his teammates that Nagelsmann had the freedom to help Ouédraogo make his debut. Once again, Nick Woltemade led the charge. The Newcastle United striker nodded home a Joshua Kimmich cross to capitalize on a strong Germany start.

“It was a very good game by us,” Woltemade said. We showed from the first second that we were determined to win. We were active, creative, and had fun on the pitch. It was a nice moment to qualify for the World Cup. It’s nice to play for Germany and score goals. Hopefully I’ll keep this up in the tournament next year.”

From there on, the floodgates opened. First, Gnabry doubled the lead before Sané left no doubt that Germany would get the result it needed. The Galatasaray winger scored a brace before the break to make it 4-0.

“It was a very good game,” Gnabry said after the game. “We had a lot of fun on the pitch. We knew we had to perform better than we did on Friday. There are still things to improve, but if we play like we did today, we can achieve big things. Today was a great feeling.”

So, what is the takeaway from a World Cup qualification performance that left much to be desired until the very end? The bottom line is that the first five of the six games in Group A were below Germany’s standards. The final game, however, was incredible and very much delivered the sort of football expected from teams coached by Nagelsmann.

“When we play like we did today, we have a very good team,” Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck said. “We took the first step now, and the next step is to play a good World Cup. When Jamal [Musiala], Kai [Havertz], Tim [Kleindienst], and all injured players are back, we can beat any team. We’re still Germany.”

That’s the message tonight. Although not always ideal, when it mattered, Germany delivered a vintage performance. The sort of performance that will make a nation dream. Still, it is just a first step. The hard work is only about to begin.