Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz received mixed reviews for his performance in Germany's 2-0 win over Luxembourg in Friday's World Cup 2026 qualifier.
Julian Nagelsmann's Mannschaft moved a step closer to securing a spot at the next global gathering in Luxembourg City, where Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade struck a brace in the second half.
Germany have now assured themselves of a playoff place at the very worst and sit top of Group A on 12 points, ahead of second-placed Slovakia on goal difference heading into the final matchday.
Nagelsmann's men will therefore finish first and earn direct entry to the World Cup should they avoid defeat against Slovakia in Leipzig on Monday, where Wirtz will endeavour to build on a promising attacking display.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star was awarded an 8.0 rating by Sofascoreon Friday night, the highest of any Germany player, edging out the 7.9 given to two-goal hero Woltemade.
Florian Wirtz rated Germany's best player in Luxembourg victory
Liverpool and Germany's Florian Wirtz pictured on November 14, 2025
Even though Wirtz once again failed to contribute directly to a goal, the 22-year-old was a constant menace out on the left-hand side, completing five successful dribbles from six attempts.
The playmaker also attempted four shots over the course of the evening - finding the target with two of them - and registered five recoveries, as he won eight of his 10 ground duels in Luxembourg.
However, Wirtz only created one chance for his teammates, and none of his five crosses were accurate, but the Liverpool attacker's nifty footwork and one-touch passes while facing his own penalty area caught the eye.
In spite of the pleasing statistics, Wirtz's performance did not go down well across all corners, as German magazine web.de highlighted the 22-year-old's 'creative crisis' in a harsh assessment of his display.
"He had a few chances in the final third, but none of them resulted in a goal," the outlet wrote. "His first shot was too hesitant, and then he missed the target. His slump at Liverpool is also evident in his German national team jersey."
Julian Nagelsmann slams "static, inflexible" Germany after Luxembourg win
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann on June 8, 2025
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann did not mention Wirtz by name in his post-match assessment, but the Germany manager lamented his side's lack of killer passes in the final third during an underwhelming performance.
"We have three points - football is a results business after all - but it was more difficult than we had hoped," liverpool.com quotes Nagelsmann as saying at full time.
"The first half was once again quite sluggish. We needed the second half to really get ourselves into the game. In the first 45 minutes we were too static, too inflexible, too unmotivated. The commitment was better in the second half.
“We would have deserved to concede a goal. That didn’t happen, and in the end we took our chances and won the game - that’s the most important thing for me.
"I’d love to see a statistic showing how many times we played backwards. In the first half, I think we had only one or two balls played properly into the final third. We acted too cautiously and kept involving our goalkeeper [Oliver] Baumann, which in most situations wasn’t even necessary."
Wirtz is also yet to register a goal or assist in 11 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, whose first game back comes at home to Nottingham Forest next Saturday afternoon.
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