Rudi Voller came into focus as Julian Nagelsmann started Deniz Undav for Germany against Paraguay in the Sechzehntelfinale of the WM 2026. It was Undav’s first start in the tournament, with Jamal Musiala left on the bench for the knockout match in Foxborough.
Germany’s attack shifts
Nagelsmann kept Joshua Kimmich at right back and turned to Nathaniel Brown on the left after adductor problems had interrupted his run there. In midfield, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Felix Nmecha were the pair in front of the defense, while Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz, Leroy Sané and Undav formed the attacking line.
That setup put Germany into the match with a different shape up front and a first-timer in the starting XI. For Undav, it was the clearest sign yet that he had moved from option to first choice for this game.
Foxborough and the lineup
The match was set for the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, with a listed capacity of 63,800 spectators. The venue is home to the MLS club New England Revolution and is best known as the home of the NFL franchise New England Patriots.
The kickoff was scheduled for 22.30 Uhr MESZ, which is 16.30 Uhr local time in Foxborough. Before the Sechzehntelfinale, Nagelsmann answered a question about moving Kimmich into midfield with, “Nee, für dieses Spiel nicht”.
Undav gets the nod
The selection also fit the broader pattern around Germany’s push into the knockout round. The liveblog noted that Germany had not reached a World Cup round of 16 since 2014, and this match arrived with the team warming up before kickoff.
There is still no match result in the source material, so the only hard conclusion is the lineup choice itself: Nagelsmann went with Undav from the start and Musiala from the bench. If Germany were to change course in the Sechzehntelfinale, that decision would be the one under the microscope first.
