Florian Wirtz received largely positive reviews after his assist in Germany’s shock 2-1 defeat to Ecuador, but concerns are still being raised over his impact.
It took just two minutes for Wirtz to tee up Leroy Sane for the opener in Thursday’s Group E closer against Ecuador.
But that goal was not enough to ensure a perfect start to the World Cup, as Nilson Angulo levelled soon after and Gonzalo Plata netted a stunning winner late on.
Though one of the shock results of the tournament so far, Germany still progress as group winners and will face one of Scotland, Paraguay or Sweden in the round of 32.
Nevertheless, it served as a jolt to the German media, with BILD‘s Henning Feindt singling Wirtz and Jamal Musiala out for scrutiny.
“We have yet to see any of the flair, goalscoring threat or world-class individual brilliance they usually display during this tournament,” the columnist wrote.
“And everyone is asking: why?
“Wirtz is miles away from the form that saw him celebrate a double-winning season with Leverkusen in 2024.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 3, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz applauds the travelling supporters after the FA Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford. Manchester United won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 3, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz applauds the travelling supporters after the FA Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford. Manchester United won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“The hard truth is that since choosing Liverpool over Bayern, he has far too rarely demonstrated his exceptional talent.”
Feindt added: “If I had to grade both of them for the group stage, the best they’d get is a four-minus.”
There is of course still cause to question this criticism, not least as it fails to recognise that this is in fact Wirtz’s first time playing at a World Cup.
Nevertheless, these are familiar concerns from his debut season at Liverpool, with the 23-year-old yet to fully stamp his authority on the No. 7 shirt following a £116 million move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Florian Wirtz still praised after “electric start”
MUNICH, GERMANY - Friday, June 14, 2024: Germany's Florian Wirtz during the opening UEFA Euro 2024 Group A match between Germany and Scotland at the Allianz Arena. Germany won 5-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
MUNICH, GERMANY - Friday, June 14, 2024: Germany's Florian Wirtz during the opening UEFA Euro 2024 Group A match between Germany and Scotland at the Allianz Arena. Germany won 5-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Wirtz was, however, praised by many others watching on against Ecuador, with GOAL‘s Tom Hindle rating him a seven out of 10 after a “tidy assist” and “a couple of chances” created.
Sports Illustrated‘s Roberto Casillas hailed Wirtz’s “electric start” with a 7.8 out of 10 rating, though he added that “after an incredible first 10 minutes, the ball was at his feet with much less regularity.”
SportsMole‘s Lewis Nolan described him as “key for Germany all game,” awarding the playmaker a seven out of 10.
Per FotMob, Wirtz had the seventh-most touches of any Germany player (54), creating two chances – the joint-most for his side – and winning five of his eight duels.
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