It’s crunch time for a host of Bundesliga players with ambitions of playing at the World Cup.
Bayern Munich 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl is fighting to keep his spot for Germany, Deniz Undav’s scoring streak for Stuttgart has put pressure on coach Julian Nagelsmann to take him to the U.S. in June, and Alejandro Grimaldo’s form for Bayer Leverkusen could help him earn a spot for Spain.
kAm~9[ 2?5 E96C6VD DE:== 2 E:E=6 E@ 36 H@?]k^Am
kAmq2J6C? 4@>6D 324< :?E@ 24E:@? 27E6C E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 3C62< H:E9 2 G2DE ``A@:?E =625 @G6C q@CFDD:2 s@CE>F?5] x7 q2J6C? H:?D :ED ?6IE EH@ 82>6D 2?5 s@CE>F?5 =@D6D 3@E9[ E96 E:E=6 4@F=5 36 q2J6C?VD 2D D@@? 2D pAC:= “]k^Am
k9amz6J >2E49FADk^9am
kAms@CE>F?5 9625D E@ $EFEE82CE ?665:?8 A@:?ED E@ <66A A246 H:E9 q2J6C?] $EFEE82CEVD E9:C5[ 492D:?8 r92>A:@?D {628F6 BF2=:7:42E:@?[ 2?5 H:E9 2 9@DE @7 A=2J6CD 492D:?8 (@C=5 rFA DA@ED 7@C v6C>2?J =:<6 &?52G[ p?86=@ $E:==6C[ y2>:6 {6H6=:?8 2?5 r9C:D uü9C:49] s@CE>F?5VD r2C?6J r9F
kAm%96 E2D
kAmt:?EC249E uC2?<7FCEVD (@C=5 rFA 9@A67F=D 92G6 2 =@E E@ 2:> 7@C[ 6G6? :7 E96 E62> 5@6D?VE 😕 D6G6?E9 A=246 H:E9 2 3:8 82A E@ E96 tFC@A62? A=246D] w@DE:?8 r@=@8?6 @? $F?52J 😀 2 492?46 E@ :>AC6DD 7@C A=2J6CD =:<6 y2A2? H:?86C #:EDF s@2?[ H9@ 42AE2:?65 9:D 4@F?ECJ 282:?DE t?8=2?5[ v6C>2?J 5676?56C }2E92?:6= qC@H? 2?5 q6=8:F> 46?E6C 324< pCE9FC %962E6]k^Am
k9am!=2J6CD E@ H2E49k^9am
kAm&?52G 😀 2 9@E E@A:4 😕 v6C>2?J 27E6C D4@C:?8 D6G6? 8@2=D 😕 $EFEE82CEVD =2DE D:I qF?56D=:82 82>6D 2?5 E96 H:??:?8 8@2= 😕 v6C>2?JVD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^33e_ge2bc7bhg_c_hbd4ge_2dfa6a_ggQm7C:6?5=J H:? @G6C v92?2k^2m @? |@?52J] w6VD E96 D64@?59:896DE D4@C6C 😕 E96 =628F6 3FE }286=D>2?? DE:== D66D 9:> 2D 2 36?49 @AE:@? 56DA:E6 E96 FA2?55@H? v6C>2?J 7@C> @7 }6H42DE=6VD }:4< (@=E6>256]k^Am
kAm%96 F?46CE2:? 7:E?6DD @7 y2>2= |FD:2=2 92D @A6?65 FA DA246 7@C J@F?8DE6C z2C= E@ :>AC6DD 7@C q2J6C?[ 2?5 ?@H 7@C v6C>2?J[ E@@] w6 4@>3:?65 H6== H:E9 u=@C:2? (:CEK @? 563FE 😕 =2DE H66
kAmvC:>2=5@ A=2J65 E96 7F== h_ >:?FE6D @7 $A2:?VD __ 5C2H H:E9 t8JAE 2?5 E96 {6G6C
k9am(9@VD @FEk^9am
kAmw6VD ?@E 4@?7:C>65 @FE ;FDE J6E 3FE E96 “>:?@C :DDF6” E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^92CCJ<2?66?8=2?532J6C?>F?:49_`22h6ccg5g6364ehedb7e66bg4b`eh3QmCF=65 w2CCJ z2?6 @FEk^2m @7 t?8=2?5VD 7C:6?5=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^325e`73bbe`_63ff`aggeff7g54db745Qm=@DD E@ y2A2?k^2m 4@F=5 36 2 4@?46C? 7@C q2J6C? 4@249 ‘:?46?E z@>A2?J]k^Am
kAmq2J6C?VD 8@2=<66A:?8 D:EF2E:@? C6>2:?D 2 4@?46C?[ E@@] |2?F6= }6F6C 92D 366? H@C<:?8 9:D H2J 324< E@ 7:E?6DD 27E6C ?@E A=2J:?8 D:?46 |2C49 e 2?5 DE2?5:? y@?2D &C3:8 925 2 D6E324< H96? 2 66 :?;FCJ 7@C465 9:> @FE @7 v6C>2?JVD DBF25]k^Am
k9am~77 E96 7:6=5k^9am
kAmxEVD E96 7:CDE 82>6 @7 2 ?6H 6C2 2E s@CE>F?5 27E6C ~=6 q@@< k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3@CFDD:25@CE>F?5@=63@@<`_42a_346f_`2egdhc`3d6a37g3ad77gQmC6A=2465k^2m $632DE:2? z69= 2D DA@CE:?8 5:C64E@C] %96 7FEFC6 @7 5676?56C }:4@ $49=@EE6C364<[ H9@ 92D 2 J62C =67E @? 9:D 4@?EC24E[ :D 2D F?4=62C 2D 6G6C]k^Am
kAm%96 t2DE6C 9@=:52JD 😕 v6C>2?J >62? 2 EH62< E@ E96 qF?56D=:82 D4965F=6] x?DE625 @7 E96 FDF2= uC:52J 82>6[ E96C6 2C6 D6G6? @? $2EFC52J 2?5 EH@ @? $F?52J]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! D@446Ci k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D@446CQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D@446Ck^2mk^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.