Just a day before the official reveal of Germany’s World Cup squad, speculation is running high. National coach Julian Nagelsmann appears ready to make a bold decision with his final selection for the tournament.

As reported by Sky, Nagelsmann plans to include Borussia Dortmund forward Maximilian Beier in his roster for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The decision comes as a mild surprise, considering Beier’s limited recent involvement with the German national team setup.

The striker is preparing for his second major international tournament, having already represented Germany at the 2024 European Championship on home soil. Since making his debut in June 2024, he has featured in seven international matches but has yet to score a goal. His most recent appearance came in October during the World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland. Following that, Nagelsmann omitted him from both the final qualifying matches and the friendlies against Switzerland.

Beier, however, remains hopeful about his selection chances. He recently said, “I believe my performances give me reason to be optimistic. I’ve played a lot in recent weeks and performed well. I’ve collected plenty of points and done everything possible to ensure that I’ll hopefully be named in the squad on Thursday.”

At club level, the 23-year-old has built a strong case for himself. Excluding traditional centre-forwards, he has been Germany’s most productive attacking player this season, contributing 20 points (ten goals and ten assists) for Borussia Dortmund.

Beier’s inclusion could, however, have implications for one of his teammates at Borussia Dortmund.

His call-up might reduce the chances for fellow Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi. Nagelsmann had earlier stated in March, “Maxi Beier, Karim Adeyemi, Kevin Schade – I’ve been very clear about these three: as of now, we’ll take one, or at most two, of these counter-attacking forwards.”

Since the trio possess similar playing styles, Nagelsmann further explained, “One of the three, maybe two, will ultimately make the squad. But they all have equal opportunities.”

Beier will not be the only Borussia Dortmund player travelling to the major tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 July. His teammates Nico Schlotterbeck and Waldemar Anton are also set to be part of the squad. The final list will be officially announced on Thursday at 1 pm.

Maximilian Beier: 2025/26 season statistics