World Cup Qualifier | DFB team begins World Cup mission against Slovakia in Bratislava

Times are changing. Where rickety trains once ran from Vienna to Bratislava , modern coaches now run. Most conveniently stop right beneath the magnificent suspension bridge on the Danube, which commemorates the 1944 Slovak National Uprising against the Nazi regime. The Old Town, with its beautiful buildings, is within walking distance, and the observation deck offers breathtaking views.

Start to the highest goal

The first groups of tourists wearing German national team jerseys heard some history from tour guides here on Wednesday. The reason for their trip, however, is the German footballers' first qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. Anything other than a victory for the German Football Association (DFB) team against the hosts from Slovakia this Thursday would be a surprise. Especially since the four-time world champions have lost only three of their 104 such qualifying matches so far.

The start of the World Cup mission, for which Julian Nagelsmann has set his ultimate goal, is intended to be a guide – even if key pillars such as Marc-André ter Stegen, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz are missing. The national coach wants dominance above all else, and his high standards should be evident from start to finish. Waiting until the World Cup will be too late to really start, warned the 38-year-old. Tournament teams thrive with a long lead time – European champions Spain and world champions Argentina have proven that amply. "I have little desire for there to be more than one game at the end where we can say: We won that by luck," emphasized Nagelsmann. His personal record also still has room for improvement: an average of 1.83 points after 23 matches currently puts him only tenth among the twelve national coaches.

Captain in the center

Joshua Kimmich is set to become the new focal point of Germany's game. The captain is driven by his own ambition, which, despite 101 international appearances, remains unmet. "We've had a few unsuccessful tournaments recently," explained the 30-year-old, whose ambition oozes from every pore. "World Cup preparations don't start two weeks before; they've already started," Kimmich said, fully in line with the national coach's approach ahead of the matches in Bratislava and on Sunday in Cologne against Northern Ireland.

The captain's move from right-back to center midfield is a reaction to the fact that Italy, Portugal , and France have recently found it far too easy to overwhelm Germany through the middle. Conceding eight goals in four key Nations League matches was clearly too many. Therefore, the Tehelne Pole stadium in Bratislava should undergo a course correction that, in the best case scenario, will last until the World Cup final on July 19, 2026, at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey.

No tactical revolution

The system change is being anticipated with some excitement, as the lead-up to the game was extremely short, with only two training sessions in Herzogenaurach. But Jonathan Tah isn't expecting a tactical revolution either. "Ultimately, it's about small things that need to be adjusted. That always sounds bigger than it actually is," assured the central defender, who, after his move to FC Bayern, is expected to provide a calming influence alongside Real Madrid's Antonio Rüdiger. Of course, they didn't have much time on the training ground, but the coaches tried "to explain it to us in many video sessions."

Theory and practice, however, are two different things. Nagelsmann has already been quite wrong with some of his experiments. Perhaps it's a good thing that none of the opponents in the group of four are among the heavyweights of world football. Slovakia, at 52nd place in the world rankings, is even better ranked than Northern Ireland at 71st and Luxembourg, in 92nd place.