El Mala Set for Germany World Cup Squad at 19
Said El Mala is set to travel with Germany to the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico despite still having no senior international caps. The 19-year-old 1. FC Köln forward has moved from being left out of March friendlies to a place in Julian Nagelsmann’s squad.
El Mala and Nagelsmann
Reports in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and Bild say Nagelsmann told El Mala he will be included in the squad. That is a sharp change from early March, when the Germany coach said the forward needed more playing time at Cologne and had to improve his defensive work.
Those comments came after El Mala was omitted from Germany’s March friendlies against Ghana and Switzerland. At that point, he was still being managed as a player with clear upside but not yet enough consistency to break into the senior setup.
Cologne rise for El Mala
The Cologne situation has changed since then. After Lukas Kwasniok’s resignation at the end of March, Rene Wagner took over, and El Mala started every Bundesliga match under the new coach. He finished his debut Bundesliga season with 13 goals and five assists.
He also helped the Germany U21s win a vital European Championship qualifier against Greece. After scoring, El Mala said, “When I scored, everything came pouring out. It was the most emotional moment of my life – I couldn't hold back any longer.”
Karl also in squad
Nagelsmann has also secured a place for Lennart Karl in the Germany squad. Karl made his senior debut as a substitute against Switzerland in March and also came on against Ghana, and Nagelsmann said of him, “He made a great impression,” while adding, “Cheeky, but also humble. He has a natural gift for positioning himself well and moving in space.”
For El Mala, the move ends a stretch that included a November call-up for World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia, then a return to the U21s after the Luxembourg match without playing. Now he goes to the World Cup with a senior squad place, a debut season of 13 goals and five assists behind him, and no senior cap yet on the record.
