Florian Wirtz is in action for Germany at the World Cup and Liverpool.com asked fans before their country's game against Paraguay what they make of the 23-year-old Liverpool star
21:43, 29 Jun 2026
Florian Wirtz walks off the Germany team coach
Florian Wirtz is a favorite among the Germany fans(Image: Getty Images)
Germany fans are in no doubt that Florian Wirtz has the ability to succeed and become a triumph in world football. Most were also in agreement that his move to Liverpool was the right one to make.
Wirtz sealed a £100 million ($135.5 million) plus an additional £16 million ($21.7 million) move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen last summer but struggled to live up to his price tag in his debut season. The 23-year-old was forced to wait until Dec. 27 to get his first goal and ended the season with 7 and 10 assists.
He is now very much a focal point of Julian Nagelsmann's attack for Germany at the World Cup. Speaking to Germany fans to get a sense of how they feel about the star attacker, they were all excited about his potential.
One fan who stopped to chat had Wirtz's name on the back of his shirt, he said, “At the moment he hasn’t scored but he has the skills to do it.” And is he the right fit for Liverpool? “He’s a good player for Liverpool, absolutely, and he was also a good player for Bayer Leverkusen. He will do a great job at the World Cup – we will see it."
A different fan said, “He’s still a present in the box that’s sealed. We want to get him out and see him perform." And his feelings on Liverpool being the right fit? “Yeah, absolutely. Yeah for Liverpool they had difficult times after Klopp left and he can maybe be the new Mo Salah.”
Two friends stopped to chat and, again, were full of praise. One said, “He’s a good player but I don’t think he’s in the top form, actually. Hopefully he can start in this tournament.”
A Germany fan with Wirtz's name on the back of his jersey is a big fan
A Germany fan with Wirtz's name on the back of his jersey is a big fan(Image: Liverpool.com)
A Germany fan described Wirtz as an unopened present
A Germany fan described Wirtz as an unopened present(Image: Liverpool.com)
His friend added, “He has to find his confidence because he had not a good season with Liverpool so he has to get his confidence to play his best football”
But was the Liverpool move right? These guys weren't sure. Fan No. 1 said, “His body is not the best for the Premier League so he has to stay one or two more years in Germany to be ready for the change to England. I don’t know if it’s the best but he’s not in the form when he made the trip to England."
Fan No. 2 added, “No. He should have been with Bayern. Maybe with the new manager it will change but it will be difficult for him in England but we hope he gets his form and confidence back and take us to the final.”
This Germany fan believes Wirtz should have stayed in the Bundesliga to bulk up
This Germany fan believes Wirtz should have stayed in the Bundesliga to bulk up(Image: Liverpool.com)
His friend believes Wirtz just needs his confidence back
His friend believes Wirtz just needs his confidence back(Image: Liverpool.com)
One happy-go-lucky fan who had brought his kids to the game said, “I think he’s a great winger, I think Liverpool has him out of position, I think he’s incredible, the future looks bright and I can’t wait for Germany to show their quality.”
Was the move to Liverpool the right one? “Yes and no. Yes, of course, Liverpool is a big club and I want him and his family to be successful but at the same time he should maybe have said more about switching positions.”
One young gentleman was with a woman who appeared to be his mother. He said, “I think he’s an amazing player. So talented, so skillful and he really brings the team together.”
A happy-go-lucky Germany fan is backing Wirtz to come good
A happy-go-lucky Germany fan is backing Wirtz to come good(Image: Liverpool.com)
A German with an especially strong accent had his say
A German with an especially strong accent had his say(Image: Liverpool.com)
His mom added, “He’s very agile, he looks good on the field, he’s fast and he really has a personality to keep everybody going.”
Was it the right move? “I think for his career it was the right move. It opened up the gates for him. I don’t think he should have stayed in the Bundesliga. I’m happy he went out and to the Prem. Think that was a good move for him.”
This young gentleman praised Wirtz's skillset
This young gentleman praised Wirtz's skillset(Image: Liverpool.com)
The fan's mother has backed Wirtz's decision to join Liverpool
The fan's mother has backed Wirtz's decision to join Liverpool(Image: Liverpool.com)
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His mom added, “I agree 100 percent. He’s young and should take all the opportunities he can.”
Finally, Liverpool.com spoke to one man who had a particularly thick German accent. He said, “Oh yes, he is a very good player. He had a bad season at Liverpool. We watched him there in the stadium and the whole time we are crossing our fingers.”
And if the Liverpool move was wrong or right? “I think it was right because the German soccer league is not as good as the Premier League and for him it’s the best thing to do. I hope he can show what he can in England.”