"It is obviously an extremely tragic situation for Marc, now it would have been his turn. That something so dramatic arises from such a simple action as a normal pass. Looking at his history with the national team, now it would have been his turn."
"The book is not completely closed, but there is no doubt that it will be very tight, because one must take into account not only the recent downtime, but also the previous period. He has hardly played for a year, this is extremely little."
"Although Ter Stegen, who will turn 34 in April, has been capped 44 times by Germany, his legitimate ambition was always to play as the national team's starting goalkeeper at a World Cup or a European Championship."
Marc-André ter Stegen's opportunity to become Germany's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2026 World Cup has become increasingly unlikely following a series of injuries. After Manuel Neuer's retirement from international football, the Barcelona captain was positioned as the natural successor. However, losing his starting role at Barcelona led to a January loan move to Girona intended to restore his form and prove his readiness to Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann. A new injury sidelined him after just two matches, effectively ending his realistic chances for the upcoming tournament. Nagelsmann acknowledged the situation is now extremely tight, citing Ter Stegen's extended absence from regular playing time over the past year. At 34 years old, the goalkeeper's window for achieving his World Cup starting ambition continues to narrow.
Read at Barca Universal
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