Füllkrug recalled to Germany squad despite age criticism

Niclas Füllkrug, the Werder Bremen striker, was nominated again for the German national team in November 2026. It was his first call-up since his last international appearance in a Nations League match in June 2025.

His return came after a strong start to the Bundesliga season, in which he was among the league's leading scorers. His form made him hard to ignore, even though some commentators argued that at his age he was no longer a long-term option for the national side.

Füllkrug himself played down the speculation in the weeks before the squad was announced and said he was not concerned about it. The selection mattered because it showed that the national coaching staff were prepared to reward current club form over age and youth, in a World Cup year when the strikers' positions were still open.

His recall also gave a new boost to the story of his goalscoring at Werder, where his consistency in front of goal became a talking point across German football.