The outlook for Germany remains bleak according to Freund, who sees a significant gap between Julian Nagelsmann's side and the world's best.
Despite the presence of Liverpool star Wirtz, Freund insists that the squad lacks the necessary balance to overcome heavyweights like Brazil or France in a knockout scenario, especially given the gruelling travel and weather conditions expected during the 2026 tournament.
"It’s what I said four years ago in Qatar - we can’t be the champion. We can’t win the World Cup," Freund admitted bluntly. "We have a few young talents like Lennart Karl, Musiala and Wirtz, but we don’t have a deep, strong squad like England, France or Spain. Then you have Brazil, Argentina, who can also beat Germany. Even as a German myself, I would love to say that we can win the World Cup. But unfortunately, I don’t think we can."