Overview
- Germany and Slovakia are level on points, with Germany holding a +3 goal difference that makes a win or draw sufficient for automatic qualification.
- The decisive qualifier kicks off in Leipzig on Monday, November 17, at 20:45 local time.
- If Germany loses, it enters March 2026 European playoffs comprising four single-leg mini-tournaments with 16 teams for four spots, with Germany seeded and at home in the semifinal; the playoff draw is set for November 20.
- Seeding hinges on the result: a win secures Pot 1 for the World Cup draw, a draw could still yield Pot 1 depending on Croatia and Morocco’s results, and qualifying via playoffs would likely place Germany in Pot 4 based on recent precedent.
- Coach Julian Nagelsmann cautioned that the team must give everything from the start and acknowledged Germany is not currently in a phase to outplay every opponent.