Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz have helped Germany win both of its games at the World Cup so far, with the Bayern Munich man opening up on his relationship with the Liverpool star
16:07, 24 Jun 2026
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz warming up before Germany vs Ivory Coast at the World Cup
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz warming up before Germany vs Ivory Coast at the World Cup(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala has opened up on how much he is enjoying playing alongside Liverpool ace Florian Wirtz for Germany, with the pair key men under Julian Nagelsmann.
Germany has won both fixtures it has played so far, hammering minnows Curacao and then narrowly edging past the Ivory Coast. That means a first-place finish is already secured before Thursday's clash with Ecuador.
As a result, Nagelsmann could opt to give either Musiala or Wirtz a rest ahead of the knockout phase. Both attackers will be starters when the more important games come a little further down the line.
"I’m really enjoying it," Musiala said, via GFNG. "I think Flo and I play really well together.
"The whole team is in great form. No matter which position I play, I can combine with anyone. But it’s true: Flo and I harmonize very well on the field.
"It’s simply fun to have this relaxed feel and free atmosphere on the pitch. We want to show what we’re capable of at this tournament. I push myself every day for that.
Musiala has spoken about playing alongside Wirtz
Musiala has spoken about playing alongside Wirtz(Image: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP via Getty Images)
"But what I’ve learned in the meantime is to remain patient. I know that, especially after my injury, I have to be patient.
"But I also know that I have the quality to achieve the high goals I’ve set for myself one day. I’m not putting any pressure on myself."
Germany will play one of the best third-placed teams in the last-32 of the tournament. As it stands, that could be someone like Sweden or Paraguay, though things could yet change substantially.
Nagelsmann's players struggled in attack in their last outing, needing Denis Undav to come off the bench and save the day.
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But the German media agreed that Wirtz was not to blame. Instead, it demanded much more from Musiala and Leroy Sane. BuliNews gave Wirtz just 5/10 for his performance, while Goal went with 6/10 — Sane only got three, and Musiala four.
"(Wirtz) looked like the attacking midfield most likely to make something happen for Germany in the first half," Goal said. "He did well to create some space for himself with some fancy footwork, only to shoot weakly at goal. As a result, he survived Nagelsmann's second-half cull, but Wirtz is still lacking an end product."
Liverpool.com says: Wirtz having a good World Cup will be a big confidence boost, but Germany appears to have some familiar issues. It lacks speed out wide and that is exactly what held the playmaker back at Anfield last term. He needs runners to be able to find the through-balls.