Die Mitarbeiter kreischen und jubeln: So wird das DFB-Team im Basecamp empfangen | WM 2026

A cheering crowd greets the arrival of the German national team at their base camp | 2026 World Cup The German national team wants to win back fans Goretzka: "To be honest, I'd rather be the top favorite" Leon Goretzka wants to put the two recent World Cup disappointments behind him in 2026. The current situation isn't to his liking. As things stand, Leon Goretzka will play a less prominent role in Germany's World Cup opener than was anticipated months ago. In his extensive interview with kicker magazine, national coach Julian Nagelsmann had promised the player, whom he had dropped from the 2024 European Championship squad, a starting position – a promise Goretzka was far from fulfilling in the friendlies against Finland (4-0) and the USA (2-1). As things stand, Leon Goretzka will play a less significant role in Germany's opening World Cup match than was expected just a few months ago. But even as a second-string player, Goretzka's mission is clear: He wants to show a different side of himself with the German national team than he did at the disastrous 2018 and 2022 World Cups, where he made a combined four appearances. "Of course, we want to rectify that," the departing Bayern Munich player said on the FIFA website, thinking primarily of the fans. "You can feel that the euphoria, the connection with the fans, and perhaps even the fans' support aren't quite there anymore. We've squandered that a bit and, of course, we want to earn it back. That's actually my biggest personal motivation, and the whole team feels the same way," Goretzka affirmed. The recent World Cup experiences have also meant that Germany enters the massive 2026 tournament ranked tenth in the world – and thus as a challenger. Goretzka also admits he "doesn't feel like we're among the top favorites. We have to be honest about that." "That simply wouldn't be appropriate." It's a role he doesn't particularly enjoy. "To be honest, I'd rather be the top favorite. I know that feeling well from my club, and then the chances of actually winning are highest. Nevertheless, given the last few years, it simply wouldn't be appropriate to call ourselves favorites for the World Cup title now. And the role we have now is certainly not bad either, and as soon as you embrace it, you can naturally draw strength from it." Goretzka goes even further: "If we manage to grow as a team within the tournament, then there are no limits to what we can achieve." ► Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any more videos! ``` Follow us on our other social media channels: ► Instagram:   / kicker   ► Facebook:   / kickeronline   ► Twitter:   / kicker_bl_li   ► TikTok: https://tiktok.com/kicker Our offers: ► kicker App for iOS and Android: https://hyperurl.co/kickerapp ► Website: https://www.kicker.de ► kicker eSport: https://esport.kicker.de