Julian Nagelsmann Backs Florian Wirtz to Find His Goal for Germany at the World Cup

Wirtz’s critics want a goal; Nagelsmann sees the work behind it

Florian Wirtz has supplied chances at the World Cup, but Germany’s critics are still waiting for the moment that turns promise into a goal. That gap matters: the Liverpool midfielder has been judged alongside Jamal Musiala, and neither has yet met expectations among pundits back home. For an attacking player, assists and incisive runs can shape a match, but they’re less visible than the finish that settles it.

Contribution and expectation are being measured differently

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has pushed back on the criticism. Wirtz started all three group matches and assisted in the 7-1 win over Curaçao and the 2-1 defeat to Ecuador. Those contributions show he’s been involved in the decisive parts of Germany’s attacking play, though they don’t settle the question of whether he has imposed himself on the tournament. A player can help create a goal and still leave supporters wanting more from the moments when the game is tight.

That’s the awkward standard Wirtz faces. His role asks him to make things happen, while public judgment tends to gravitate toward goals, especially when a highly regarded player is expected to be a match-winner. The distinction isn’t unfair by itself: finishing is part of the job. But it can flatten the account of a performance, making the work that precedes a shot seem like a footnote.

And this is the part most people overlook: Germany’s criticism isn’t only about Wirtz’s personal output. It also reflects the team’s need for its best attacking players to turn promise into results. When chances don’t become goals, the pressure falls on the players expected to create them, even if the final touch belongs to someone else. That pressure can be difficult to separate from the player’s actual contribution.

A difficult Liverpool season adds another layer

Wirtz had a difficult first season at Liverpool after joining from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for £116 million. That background follows him into the tournament: expectations around a high-profile player don’t pause when he changes teams or competitions. The fee is part of the public conversation, but it can also become a blunt measure, encouraging people to read every quiet spell as evidence of a larger failure.

Nagelsmann’s view is that the 23-year-old needs a goal to get going. “Flo was very committed and gave it his all,” he said, adding that Wirtz had “two or three top-notch dribbles in the penalty area” but was “missing the goal.” He also put some of the frustration down to luck. That’s a defence based on what Wirtz has been trying to do, rather than a claim that the criticism has no basis.

The dribbles matter because they show a route into dangerous areas; the missing finish matters because possession in those areas only counts for so much if it doesn’t produce a goal. A player who keeps getting into position is giving himself opportunities to change the story. Still, “nearly” can’t become a permanent answer. Here’s the thing: one goal could alter the mood quickly, but Germany can’t assume it will arrive just because the underlying play looks promising.

Musiala faces a different test

Nagelsmann also urged patience with Musiala, who has been out for a year, and said Germany must coax out the ability everyone knows he has. That’s a different challenge from Wirtz’s. Wirtz has started each group match and has recorded assists; Musiala is returning after a long absence, so the demand is to rediscover his influence while building back into competitive football.

Pairing the two in the same conversation risks obscuring those differences. Both are being asked to provide attacking quality, but their circumstances aren’t identical, and the coach’s remarks reflect that. Patience can be sensible when a player is returning from a year out. It also has a limit in a knockout tournament, where there may be little time to wait for rhythm to develop.

For Germany, the practical question is how to get the most from both players in the match ahead. Nagelsmann expects a breakthrough from them against Paraguay. That expectation gives the players a clear target, but it also raises the pressure: the next appearance could become the test that defines how their tournament is remembered.

Paraguay turns the debate into an immediate test

The stakes are immediate. Germany meet Paraguay on Monday in the round of 32, with a win setting up a last-16 match against either France or Sweden. There’s no long runway for a gradual change in perception. One match can decide whether Germany advances and whether the debate around its attacking players shifts from unrealised potential to tangible impact.

Nagelsmann, himself scrutinised after Germany’s loss to Ecuador, said he would have made different substitutions if his side had still needed a win. That comment offers a glimpse of the choices around the team, but it doesn’t remove the responsibility from the players on the pitch. Coaches can adjust personnel and tactics; the players still have to make those decisions count in the moments that matter.

His message for Monday was simpler: give everything, advance, and “dribble forward with confidence.” It’s a useful instruction for Wirtz, whose ability to carry the ball into threatening areas is part of the case Nagelsmann is making on his behalf. It’s also a reminder that confidence has to lead somewhere. A positive run can unsettle a defence; a decisive action can change the score.

This is more significant than it looks. If you're working in this space, the useful distinction is between a player who isn’t involved and one who’s involved but hasn’t produced the clearest outcome. Wirtz’s assists and dribbles support Nagelsmann’s argument that he’s contributing. The critics’ demand for a goal reflects the pressure on Germany to make that contribution decisive. Both readings can be true at once.

Germany now needs performance and result together. Patience with Wirtz and Musiala may be justified, but the round of 32 gives that patience a short deadline. One goal. One step forward.